Roger Protz raises a glass to the London pub that was named after a philanthropist, and pours cold water on a London station


Public saviour: The Lamb in Bloomsbury was named after the philanthropist William Lamb, who in 1577 improved the conduit that brought water to the area. The pub was built in the 1720s and updated in Victorian times.

Public saviour: The Lamb in Bloomsbury was named after the philanthropist William Lamb, who in 1577 improved the conduit that brought water to the area. The pub was built in the 1720s and updated in Victorian times.


The Lamb on Lamb鈥檚 Conduit Street, London WC1, is a superb Victorian pub, with seats on the pavement and a blaze of hanging baskets in season. It is famous for its 鈥渟nob screens鈥� 鈥� revolving cut-glass partitions above the central horseshoe bar. This device was introduced in the 19th century, when pubs had saloon and public bars, to prevent the 鈥渓ower orders鈥� seeing who was drinking in the saloon, often gentlemen with ladies to whom they were not married. The pub is decorated with a vast array of photos of stars of the Victorian and Edwardian music hall. And it sells Young鈥檚 sublime beers.

The downside of a few beers in the Lamb is the return trip to St Albans from the horrors of King鈥檚 Cross Thameslink Station. Cramped, ugly, with limited seating, partly open to the skies so that passengers can be rained or snowed upon or dive-bombed by incontinent pigeons, this hellhole is a public disgrace.

Public disgrace King鈥檚 Cross Thameslink Station will be replaced from 2007 by a new interchange under St Pancras Station, currently being built as part of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link project.

Public disgrace King鈥檚 Cross Thameslink Station will be replaced from 2007 by a new interchange under St Pancras Station, currently being built as part of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link project.

Postscript

Roger Protz is editor of the Good Beer Guide 2006, available from CAMRA, 拢13.99