Benjamin Franklin's House

The Ship & Shovell, Charing Cross

This was an unexpected visit. I was meeting a friend at Charing Cross and we going to look at a pub I'd seen online with a view to having lunch there. On our way we saw Benjamin Franklin's house in Craven Street. There was a member of staff at the door and she told us a bit about the house. We said we might well come back after we'd eaten. Which we did.

But first, the pub. It's called The Ship & Shovell. A pub of two halves, connected by the basement where the kitchen is. The ship refers to ships bringing in coal to the Embankment. Shovell was Captain Cloudesley Shovell, who I believe was rumoured to fight pirates, and was MP for Rochester twice 1695-1701 and 1704 until his death in 1707. We ate in the right hand side of the pub as you walk down the passageway. We found the pub had a 'crows nest' and we asked if it was okay to eat there. We felt a bit bad as there wasn't anyone else in that side of the pub. The barman was happy though. We enjoyed having a look around the room. One panel was all about the brewers Hall and Woodhouse with photos of some of the staff. There was a dumb waiter upstairs, and we got quite excited when the lights flashed, which meant our food was arriving. We both ate a nice veggie curry. Our table was by the window so we could see the other half of the pub which was busier than our side.

Hall & Woodhouse, Brewers

Dumb Waiter

Staircase

The other half of the pub

Afterwards, we walked back to Benjamin Franklin's house. As senior citizens, we got in for a fiver (though full price is only £6 or £7). The house doesn't have much in the way of furniture, just the odd table and the history of the place was on an App, which the lady helped us download. Some of the walls are cracking and not straight!It's quirky. The first room we visited was the site of 'bones under the floor'. There was once a School of Anatomy here, run by William Hewson. You can read about it here. You can see some bones still in situ through a glass floor, and other bones in a display case.

Bones under the glass floor (sorry, lots of reflection)

More bones in display case.

Benjamin Franklin was a founder fathers of America and this is the only house of his remaining that is open to the public. Do have a look at the website for more information about him and the house.