The Widow's Son


The Widow's Son

The pub with a sad navy rite on Good Friday every year.

Location: 75 Devon's Road, Bow, London, E3 3PJ

Description: The story behind this pub's name is about a cottage on this site where a widow lived, and her only son a sailor. He was due to return home on Good Friday (reputedly in 1824) and asked his mother to bake him some hot-cross-buns. Sadly, he never returned.

Nevertheless every Good Friday his mother had a new bun waiting. Each year a new bun was added to ones she had kept from previous years. When she died the buns were found hanging from a beam in her cottage, which became known as the Bun House.

The cottage was replaced by a pub in 1848 and the story kept alive by successive landlords.

Every Easter on Good Friday, a Royal Navy sailor adds a new bun to the collection which hangs in the pub. Sailors from around Britain come to pay their respects to the widow. They hold a religious service, then sing, drink and generally have a good time.


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The Widow's Son

The pub with a sad navy rite on Good Friday every year.

Ranking This Month: 29/2849

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Other places nearby:


Two Brewers», 4.7km

Assembly House», 5.6km

The Grapes», 1.1km

Peter Storey's Pub», 3.1km

Piers Morgan's Pub», 7.9km

The Duchess», 6.1km

The Hand & Racquet», 4.9km

The Queen's Head», 4.8km

Queen's No1», 5.8km

The Freemason's Arms», 6.9km

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