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The iconic Ye Olde Swiss Cottage served its last pint over the weekend.
Sam Smith’s Brewery closed the pub on Saturday February 1, despite a campaign to save the historic boozer. A pub has stood on the same north-west London site since the 1830s, and the local area, as well as Swiss Cottage tube station, were both named after the pub.
The Finchley Road pub was, strangely, designed in the style of an Alpine chalet, and could be found situated in the middle of a busy intersection by the A41. According to CAMRA, the pub was built in 1830, and the site was previously home to another gabled building called Lausanne Cottage which was allegedly used by Charles II as a hunting lodge. The nearby Underground station was built in 1868 and named after the pub, which was the most recognisable local landmark.
Speaking to Camden New Journal about the closure, Labour party councillor Nina de Ayala Parker, said: ‘When we lose pubs, we lose culture. Pubs are not just about having a pint, but frequently used as a social place, and ye olde Swiss was that for so many.’
She added: ‘And right in the centre of the busy roads of Swiss Cottage – a slice of merriness. I am very disappointed and saddened to hear this. As I’m sure many of South Hampstead residents will be too’.
Last year it was revealed that more than 3,000 pubs, clubs and bars have closed in London since the pandemic. Soaring energy bills, sky-high rent and a generational decline in drinking are some of the reasons late night venues are suffering.