Item Description
Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom, for eight months, from 7 September 1940 to 11 May 1941, during the Second World War. The Germans conducted mass air attacks against industrial targets, towns, and cities, beginning with raids on London, towards the end of the Battle of Britain in 1940. This is a tremendous set of four beer taps recovered from the wreckage of the Star and Garter, a pub destroyed by German bombs during the later stage of the Battle of Britain. The taps can still be pulled, and were manufactured by Gaskell & Chambers of Birmingham.
The taps sit on a wooden crate which bears a plaque to the front reading:
RECOVERED FROM
THE STAR AND GARTER
After the Blitz
ROTHERHITHE
7th September, 1940
The top has a circular maker’s tag for Gaskell & Chambers of Birmingham. Pulling the taps reveal original markings which read:
GASKELL
&
CHAMBERS
PATENT
259283
DALEX
REGo.
QUADAMANT
1929
This is entirely correct, and shows that these taps saw over two decades of use in the pub. There isn’t very much information on the pub, given that it was demolished 85 years ago, but we could find that it was located at 67 Lower Road, Rotherhithe, London. The pub stood opposite Culling Road and consequently opposite the Rotherhithe Hippodrome. The pub was first recorded in 1859 and closed in 1940. William Lindley (1885–1944) was the landlord in 1940 and his wife Charlotte was killed there on 7 Sep 1940 during the blitz. She is commemorated in the UK, WWII Civilian Deaths, 1939-1945, register.
The beer taps & lid are just sitting on the box and are not screwed onto it, likely done for display and so that the underside of the taps could still be examined. The entire piece measures 27¾ x 9 x 24”.
This is a tremendous & unique set, likely one of the only remaining pieces of this now-forgotten pub. Ready to become the centerpiece of any mancave or WWII collection!
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