North London Food & Culture

Could this building be the next Bull & Gate?


Castle Tavern Heroes

Now that the end is nigh for the Bull & Gate, Kentish Town’s most famous small live music venue, isn’t the door wide open for this peeling, rather forlorn old boozer?

Readers will remember its moment in the sun came and went as The Flowerpot (2009-10), with its crystal-ball championing of global artists like Mumford & Sons and Laura Marling. Recent incarnation Heroes reopened with a spanking new sound system and solo gig from Carl Barat of The Libertines. Yet the venue was plagued with years of complaints over noise and anti-social behaviour, finally shutting its doors in 2011. So come on Club Fandango, Wheelbarrow, Barfly, whoever – surely somebody with some cash can take it over?

Otherwise we all might be looking at yet another block of flats. Yesterday a reader emailed us a press release from developers AG&G which says that “this handsome, late Victorian building on the corner of Castle Street and Kentish Town Road is now in search of a new purpose. The freehold is for sale for offers in excess of £1.6 million. It will appeal to developers / investors seeking to re-let the ground floor and basement and convert or extend the upper floors to create a number of flats – but it could also remain as a pub, bar or restaurant.”


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Castle Tavern close-up And let’s not forget this is a historic drinking hole in its own right, built in 1849 as replacement for the Castle Inn, whose pleasure garden once extended west to the now submerged River Fleet. Even better, after the death of a certain Admiral Nelson, his distraught mistress Emma Hamilton relocated to Kentish Town to live near the Castle (and Nelson’s uncle) – ie, in what must now be Heroes’ weed-filled garden.

So is this a strong contender to step into the Bull & Gate’s shoes? After all, we need to safeguard Kentish Town’s famous live music scene. Yes, someone responsible needs to take over who can work with local residents on the aforementioned issues. But Kentish Town needs to cherish its roots, right? What do you think?


8 thoughts on “Could this building be the next Bull & Gate?”

  1. We all love the idea of a vibrant live music scene in Kentish Town but some local residents take advantage of the precarious balance venues must maintain to make life as unattractive to potential investors as possible. It’s a fine balance between up and coming, vibrant area (and successive increase in house values) and tired, bored, ‘safe’ area full of gastropubs & no live music at all.

  2. One bit of good news for any prospective buyer is that the person who made most of the complaints about this great venue was my insane neighbour, who has now been forcibly relocated by the council themselves!

  3. Greed is killing the industry in London, Camden’s wild nightlife and scenic canal views is what make Camden so desirable to live in.. Having been a promoter and watching venues opt for putting profit over talent has been a hard pill to swallow. #venue #isitallover?

  4. I’d like to see someone try a really innovative scheme. How about a late-night music and performance venue aimed at a more sedate crowd? I still love to go out until the small hours, but nowadays I want to be able to sit down, not drink crap, and have the option of holding down a conversation — which is why I love Shebeen.

    I’m thinking of a version of the place where Diane Keaton sings in “Annie Hall”: little tables, with service, and good drinks (cocktails, sensible wine list, craft beers etc) and maybe some simple food, with a bit of a louche luxe decor. DJ nights could be supplemented by live jazz and singer-songwriter stuff; hell, maybe even try some chamber music. A venue like that could suit retro dress-up-and dance events and burlesque, if that’s still a thing. Stand-up and readings or talks, too.

    Surely the NW5/NW1 demographic would support such a place (and there should be less of a perceived problem with anti-social behaviour). And, yes, I feel really old.

  5. Elsie – the kind of place you describe would be a fabulous addition in my view and I think the demographic would support it. Wouldn’t it be great if someone took up this idea! Dancing on the Edge meets Kentish Town.

Leave a Comment

8 thoughts on “Could this building be the next Bull & Gate?”

  1. We all love the idea of a vibrant live music scene in Kentish Town but some local residents take advantage of the precarious balance venues must maintain to make life as unattractive to potential investors as possible. It’s a fine balance between up and coming, vibrant area (and successive increase in house values) and tired, bored, ‘safe’ area full of gastropubs & no live music at all.

  2. One bit of good news for any prospective buyer is that the person who made most of the complaints about this great venue was my insane neighbour, who has now been forcibly relocated by the council themselves!

  3. Greed is killing the industry in London, Camden’s wild nightlife and scenic canal views is what make Camden so desirable to live in.. Having been a promoter and watching venues opt for putting profit over talent has been a hard pill to swallow. #venue #isitallover?

  4. I’d like to see someone try a really innovative scheme. How about a late-night music and performance venue aimed at a more sedate crowd? I still love to go out until the small hours, but nowadays I want to be able to sit down, not drink crap, and have the option of holding down a conversation — which is why I love Shebeen.

    I’m thinking of a version of the place where Diane Keaton sings in “Annie Hall”: little tables, with service, and good drinks (cocktails, sensible wine list, craft beers etc) and maybe some simple food, with a bit of a louche luxe decor. DJ nights could be supplemented by live jazz and singer-songwriter stuff; hell, maybe even try some chamber music. A venue like that could suit retro dress-up-and dance events and burlesque, if that’s still a thing. Stand-up and readings or talks, too.

    Surely the NW5/NW1 demographic would support such a place (and there should be less of a perceived problem with anti-social behaviour). And, yes, I feel really old.

  5. Elsie – the kind of place you describe would be a fabulous addition in my view and I think the demographic would support it. Wouldn’t it be great if someone took up this idea! Dancing on the Edge meets Kentish Town.

Leave a Comment

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