About This Crawl
The Circle Line Challenge is London's ultimate pub crawl endurance test. One pub at every station on the Circle Line — one continuous loop through Zone 1. Start at King's Cross and work your way around the entire circle before the Tube closes. Serious kudos for making it the whole way round.
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Circle Line Challenge
- 1The Parcel Yard — King's Cross Station, N1C 4AH
The Parcel Yard opens at 8am - the earliest on the Circle Line — making it the ideal launchpad. A vast Fuller's pub in the restored Victorian parcel office at King's Cross. Great architecture, a solid breakfast menu, and a good selection of ales to line your stomach before the long haul ahead.
- 2The Euston Flyer — 83-87 Euston Road, NW1 2RA
The Euston Flyer opens at 9am on Saturdays — one of the few pubs on the line ready this early. A large Fuller's pub opposite Euston station. Cheap drinks and quick service to keep you moving.
- 3The Albany — 240 Great Portland Street, W1W 5QU
The Albany is a stylish pub on Great Portland Street with good cocktails and ales. Opens at 11am on Saturdays — the timing works perfectly from the Euston Flyer.
- 4The Volunteer — 245 Baker Street, NW1 6XE
A proper Victorian pub near Baker Street station. Solid ales, traditional interior, and a good atmosphere to settle into the rhythm of the crawl.
- 5The Green Man — 308 Edgware Road, W2 1DY
The Green Man sits right next to Edgware Road station. A PubLove pub with craft beers, burgers, and a relaxed atmosphere. Opens at 9am daily, though by now you won't need the early start.
- 6The Victoria — 10A Strathearn Place, W2 2NH
The Victoria is a traditional Victorian pub tucked away near Paddington Station. Good real ales and a cosy atmosphere. Gets the western arc properly started.
- 7The Mitre — 24 Craven Terrace, W2 3QH
The Mitre is a reliable local near Bayswater station. Nothing fancy but serves a good pint and keeps you moving on the crawl. Opens at noon — the route is timed so you arrive right on cue.
- 8The Churchill Arms — 119 Kensington Church Street, W8 7LN
The Churchill Arms is one of London's most recognisable pubs, its exterior smothered in flowers and hanging baskets. A proper Fuller's pub with excellent ales and legendary Thai food served in the conservatory out back. Named after Winston Churchill's grandparents, who were regulars. Three minutes from Notting Hill Gate station.
- 9The Elephant & Castle — 40 Holland Street, W8 4LT
The Elephant & Castle is a charming backstreet pub in Kensington with excellent Fuller's ales. A proper London local tucked away from the high street bustle.
- 10The Stanhope Arms — 97 Gloucester Road, SW7 4SS
The Stanhope Arms is a traditional pub right by the station. Good spot for a quick half and keeping the momentum going through South Kensington.
- 11The Hoop & Toy — 34 Thurloe Place, SW7 2HQ
The Hoop & Toy is a handsome Victorian pub opposite the V&A. Great people-watching from the terrace and solid pub food if you need to refuel.
- 12The Antelope — 22 Eaton Terrace, SW1W 8EZ
The Antelope is a proper Chelsea pub with a traditional interior and excellent ales. One of the highlights of the southern arc of the Circle Line.
- 13The Cask Pub & Kitchen — 6 Charlwood Street, SW1V 2EE
A craft beer paradise with 10 cask ales and dozens of keg lines. Essential stop for beer lovers. One of the best pubs on the whole crawl.
- 14The Red Lion — 48 Parliament Street, SW1A 2NH
The Red Lion is a Westminster institution where MPs and civil servants have been drinking for centuries. The division bell still rings for Commons votes.
- 15St Stephen's Tavern — 10 Bridge Street, SW1A 2JR
A magnificent Victorian pub opposite Big Ben with ornate glass and woodwork. Political history oozes from every corner. A must-visit.
- 16The Sherlock Holmes — 10 Northumberland Street, WC2N 5DB
The Sherlock Holmes is a themed pub with a recreation of Holmes' study upstairs. Touristy but fun, and conveniently close to the station.
- 17Temple Brew House — 46 Essex Street, WC2R 3JF
An independent brewpub on Essex Street with its own microbrewery in the basement. Open Saturdays until midnight — a rarity in this part of London. The house-brewed ales are worth trying, and it's right next door to Temple station.
- 18The Blackfriar — 174 Queen Victoria Street, EC4V 4EG
The most extraordinary pub interior in London. An Arts and Crafts masterpiece with marble walls and bronze friars. Nearly demolished in 1964 but saved by John Betjeman's campaign. Unmissable.
- 19Ye Olde Watling — 29 Watling Street, EC4M 9BR
Built in 1668 using timber from ships broken up after the Great Fire, Ye Olde Watling is one of the oldest pubs in the City. Open Saturdays noon to 8pm — check the time, as the crawl arrives around 7pm. A Nicholson's pub with good cask ales and a proper sense of history.
- 20The Hydrant — 1 Monument Street, EC3R 8BG
The Hydrant is a Fuller's pub on Monument Street, open Saturdays unlike most City pubs. A solid mid-crawl stop with a good range of ales and reliable food if you need refuelling for the final push.
- 21The Monument — 18 Fish Street Hill, EC3R 6DB
The Monument pub sits right at the foot of the Monument to the Great Fire. A solid City pub with good views and a convenient location.
- 22The Hung Drawn and Quartered — 26-27 Great Tower Street, EC3R 5AQ
The Hung Drawn and Quartered is named after the gruesome fate of traitors at the nearby Tower. A large Fuller's pub with good food and views toward the Tower of London.
- 23The Hoop and Grapes — 47 Aldgate High Street, EC3N 1AL
One of the few timber-framed buildings to survive both the Great Fire and the Blitz. The crooked floors and leaning walls are part of the charm. Historic and atmospheric.
- 24Hamilton Hall — Liverpool Street Station, EC2M 7PY
A former ballroom inside Liverpool Street station with extraordinary gilded ceilings and baroque plasterwork. One of London's most spectacular pub interiors, inexplicably inside a train station.
- 25The Globe — 83 Moorgate, EC2M 6SA
The Globe is a reliable City pub with a good range of ales. Not the most exciting stop but keeps the crawl moving through the northern City.
- 26Fox & Anchor — 115 Charterhouse Street, EC1M 6AA
The Fox & Anchor is a beautifully restored Victorian pub on Charterhouse Street, open until 1am on Saturdays. The ornate tiled facade and etched glass interior are among the best-preserved in London. Famous for its full English breakfasts, though at this hour you're here for the ales. The penultimate stop — don't linger, Farringdon awaits.
- 27The Holy Tavern — 55 Britton Street, EC1M 5UQ
You made it. Formerly the Jerusalem Tavern, renamed in 2022 but otherwise unchanged — a tiny, perfectly preserved 18th-century pub still serving St Peter's ales from Suffolk. Last orders around 22:45, so don't dawdle at Barbican. 27 stations, 27 pubs, one legend.