Royal Vauxhall Tavern (London)

United Kingdom / England / London / A3204 Kennington Lane, 372
 pub / public house, 1860s construction, Grade II Listed (UK), gay pub
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The Royal Vauxhall Tavern was built between 1860 and 1862, probably by the architect James Edmeston senior, since it was the first building to be constructed in his scheme to redevelop the site of Vauxhall Gardens, the pleasure gardens which had closed in 1859. In 1889 the Royal Vauxhall Tavern was bought by the publicans Poole and Venner who in 1896 employed the architect R A Lewcock to refurbish the interior; his scheme included the installation of a long curving bar that followed the line of the internal structural columns, and for many years provided a stage and performance space for drag artists. In the 1970s the local streets, which had been laid out by Edmeston on the footprint of Vauxhall Gardens, were demolished, leaving the Royal Vauxhall Tavern standing alone, while the ground behind was landscaped to form New Spring Gardens.

The Royal Vauxhall Tavern, or RVT as it is commonly known, is a key LGB&T venue and symbol of the gay community, with a national and international reputation. From the later C19 the pub was recognised as an important drag and cabaret venue, building on the reputation for Bohemian and alternative entertainment which had been characteristic of the area, and particularly of Vauxhall Gardens since its inception in the 1660s. Many well-known drag artists have started their career or performed at the RVT.

Given the need for discretion at the time, it is difficult to give a precise date, but seemingly from the early 1950s the RVT came to be recognised as a major LGB&T venue. Certainly by the 1960s it was overtly so, providing a meeting place and entertainment platform, and a flagship for the gay community, and it was a site of resistance to homophobia during the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s. The website www.rvt.community/ provides a detailed history of the building and its cultural significance.

Thriving in this role, in the early 1980s the pub was refurbished internally. Previously laid out with three smaller bar areas, internal partitions and the iconic curved bar were removed to provide a single open space served by a smaller bar against the southern wall and a larger stage, built against the rear wall of the building. Seating was built-in against the outer curved wall and in place of the horseshoe bar, island tables were created round each of the internal columns.

After Vauxhall Gardens closed, items, including ‘about sixty-one iron columns’, were sold at auction. It has been suggested that the six structural piers that support the first floor stair well and a further six used externally on the building may have been acquired from the Gardens. Illustrations of Vauxhall Gardens, including the frontispiece of the 1778 edition of the Vocal magazine, an engraving from the Lady’s magazine of 1799 and a drawing by the artist and social commentator George Scharf of 1827 show buildings with columnar arcades but, never intended as precise architectural drawings, none appear to provide clear certainty that these correspond with the RVT columns and piers.
historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1426...
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Coordinates:   51°29'10"N   -0°7'18"E

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This article was last modified 6 years ago