London's historic ship The Golden Hinde is transforming into a floating pub this summer
Ahoy good times
For all the immersive experiences and live spin offs of beloved films and TV shows (we’re looking at you Crystal Maze and The Traitors) London is yet to get a Pirates of the Caribbean style adventure where you can do the Jack Sparrow run across the deck of a historic Square Rigger and down some rum. However, thanks to The Golden Hinde and the returns of its Thirsty Thursdays, this might be about to change.
Whilst you might usually head to the local pub or a trendy bar or even just the side of a road for your usual (cherished) post work pint on a Thursday, this summer you might end up swapping your local watering hole for the waterside. The Golden Hinde is not just a fancy Etonian sounding family crest but the name of one of London’s oldest (intact) ships moored in London Bridge. The floating piece of (reconstructed) history will be welcoming guests aboard for more than just a tour this summer as every Thursday the ship will transform into a pub. Its Thirsty Thursdays will be running weekly from 5.30pm until 10pm, with no booking, plank walking, or rig climbing required.
Entry to the ship is usually £6 for a standard whip round, but for Thursday pints, entry will be completely free and even better, it promises to serve up some of the “best value drinks in SE1” so hopefully you won’t be dishing out the golden galleons for a singular sip. Plus you’ll be able to drink in some stunning views of the Thames without having to be on a rooftop drinking a £16 cocktail. The bar will be on the main deck, but you’re invited to have a nosy around the ship itself whilst you enjoy your tipple. You’ll be able to look around inside the main cabins, duck under the low beams, and even have a look at the armoury.
The Golden Hind isn’t actually the original ship that sailed back in the 1570s but a full-sized recreation of the Elizabethan galleon painstakingly constructed in 1973. The original ship was the first English ship to circumnavigate the globe and was captained by Sir Francis Drake. Its original name was Pelican but Drake later changed it in honour of his patron, Sir Chirstopher Hatton whose crest was a golden hind (that’s a female red deer for the un-Attenborough-educated amongst you). The original Golden Hind was also staged for public gawping at Deptford from 1580 until around 1650 when it eventually rotted away and was broken up. Some of the original wooden timbers were reused in structures that still exist today like at Drake’s Devonshire home.
As well as transforming into a pub, The Golden Hinde also hosts plenty of events including live music sessions and pub quizzes. And if you’re really into cosplaying as Jack Sparrow, it even hosts sleepovers where you can stay overnight on board the ship.
You can peruse all the events at the ship's website, including all the details for Thirsty Thursdays. Currently, Thirsty Thursdays will kick off on 20th Aug, running until 24th Sep.
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