Queen's Head

This building still stands but it is no longer a pub

The Queen's Head public house was a prominent feature of the Thames waterfront at Mortlake for some 300 years. It was built in the early 18th century by Philip Bourne on the site of the Tapestry Works. The first known landlord was Henry Elcock in 1780 who was most probably also the freeholder. In August 1823 the Queen's Head and several other adjoining properties were put up for auction. It was described as a valuable freehold estate. Suzanna Mary Edwards purchased the properties. The Mortlake Independent Friendly Society was set up a year later and they held their meetings at the Queen's Head. John Biggs, the prominent market gardener of Barnes owned the property from 1825 until 1837. Francis Richard Godfrey became landlord in 1862; he was a waterman to the Queen. The Queen's Head then became a famous meeting place for boating enthusiasts from where regattas were also held.

The association of the Queen's Head with the river is apparent in an auctioneer's description of the building in 1876: The well-known and far famed old Boating House…A most important situation, and one possessing association of interest to all boating men, and commanding the eager attention of the public on all aquatic occasions of interest, being within a few hundred yards of the winning post on the recognised rowing course from Putney to Mortlake.

The Queen's Head saw many owners, landlords and landladies come and go over its long existence. In the 1901 census Leonard Budd, licenced victualler, was resident with his wife Lilian, twin five-year old sons, Victor and Leonard, along with their 16-year-old servant, Sarah Vine. There is no indication in the 1901 Census of hotel guests.

The 1914 Valuation describes the building as being a large, three storey, modern brick-built property with a slate roof. There were three bars on the ground floor, a coffee room, small parlour, kitchen and scullery. The first floor consisted of a very large room, often referred to as "the ballroom", able to take three billiard tables. The top floor had five rooms. Altogether there were 2720 square feet of space.

The Queen's Head closed in 1952 and was later converted into apartments.