The Angel Inn

The pub where Turner painted his favourite painting.

Location: 101 Bermondsey Wall East, Bermondsey, London, SE16 4NB

Description: This is the pub where Turner painted The Fighting Temeraire from it's balcony. It has splendid views across the river and Turner also painted another painting here - if anyone can identify it, please let us know.

An inn has stood on this site since the fifteenth century - built by the monks of Bermondsey Priory. The present building dates from the early nineteenth century.

Captain Cook prepared for his voyage to Australia here and Samuel Pepys was also a visitor.

From it's first exhibition's notes:

The pinnacle of Constables paintings 'The Haywain' is set undeniably in the past. Turner's 'The Fighting Temeraire' shows us the passing away of that time. A grand forty year old champion of the Battle of Trafalgar, being towed away to its last berth by a modern steam tug bellowing smoke.

Turner was seen on board a Margate steamer sketching the passage of the Temeraire upriver to Beatson's ship breaking yard at Rotherhithe on 6 September I838, although what he saw and what he painted are two different things. Thus we know from contemporary newspaper reports that the Temeraire was towed by two tugs, and another observer of the towing later testified that the painter invented the spectacular sunset. The Temeraire glorified for the last time by Turner's brushes, for in reality she is stripped of her masts, sail and rigging, all guns and useful parts are removed by the Admiralty as spares. The ship is to be stripped of its oak wood at the breaker's yard, the copper sold back to the Admiralty for 3000, the breaker having paid around 5500 for the hull.

The Temeraire that would have made a marvelous museum piece in itself, is now left the the nation in the National Gallery as a painting. Thanks to Turner the ship that saved the 'Victory' at the Battle of Trafalgar is still remembered. The importance of the painting realized by Turner who never sold 'His Darling'.