The Narrow

History

The Narrow, at no. 44 Narrow Street, E14 is a Grade II listed building, located in the Limehouse area of East London, directly alongside the River Thames.

The area, where the Grand Union Canal and the Regents Canal meet the Thames, first became known for its limekilns in the 14th century and in the 1740’s became the site of England’s first soft paste porcelain factory. Shipbuilding also thrived in the area from the 16th through to the 19th century.

In 1830, the well-known brewer Taylor Walker began brewing on the site of today’s Narrow Street pub. The building itself was constructed between 1905 and 1910 by British Waterways as a purpose-built customs / Dock Master’s house serving the Limehouse Basin.

The building then became a public house, initially called The Barley Mow and later refurbished and re-named The Narrow Street Pub and Dining Room.

Given the area and the building’s rich history, it was important to retain the historic qualities of the building as well as to relate the design to the locality and the history of the Limehouse area. The wall colours are muted to highlight features such as the fireplaces and lounge armchairs and the wall space is animated through the use of historical black and white photography referencing the history of the area.

In its new form, we have created a warm and relaxed environment where the emphasis is on good quality food with real ales and ciders.