The Old Dick Whittington was situated at 24 Cloth Fair. This beerhouse opened in 1846 in a 16th century timber framed house. It was allegedly the oldest Inn in London although it was actually only given a license in 1848 and there are many pubs in London older than this, one of the oldest is believed to be the Seven Stars on Carey street Holborn.
The building was acquired by the Corporation of London and along with many other medieval houses along Cloth Fair which had stood for hundreds of years they were demolished in 1916 for ‘slum clearance’. On the opposite end of the terrace there is one survivor of the slum clearance which was restored instead of demolished showing that they could all have been retained without too much effort.
Today the space is taken by a dull modern building showing that the replacement for this priceless piece of history did not even last one century.
