THE George Inn, built in 1676, is London’s only surviving galleried inn, the final stop to rest your horses and your head before you cross into London proper and Swift Half’s pub of the week.

This splendid boozer is not just another pub though; it’s an inimitable time capsule, offering a pint of history alongside a slice of Britain’s rich literary past.

This venerable institution was once graced by the legend, Charles Dickens, who even made a mention of it in ‘Little Dorrit’. Drop by, and you might just find yourself sipping your ale in the same spot as the illustrious writer.

Nestled in the heart of Southwark, the inn is easily missable with the throngs of London commuters shuffling past its somewhat inconspicuous courtyard entrance on the main road of Borough High Street.

The courtyard is the perfect spot for Brit’s endless passion for drinking outside regardless of what the weather throws at us.

Ridiculously the boozer was once renamed  ‘The Shape of Brew’ – after the Ed Sheeran hit, ‘Shape of You’ as part of a fairly poor marketing stunt.

The food is decent, as is the beer, although everything comes with the standard London price tag and sometimes the service to grab a beer can be fairly poor.

Many locals, despite years of living and working in the area, remain oblivious to its existence, while tourists from places as far as the United States and Japan travel to London specifically to see it.

For those that do make it to the hallowed courtyard the reviews are normally raving.

“Always a must go to place if in borough as the drinks are great and so is the food the pub is an amazing building where history really comes alive” said one on Trip Advisor

Blink and you might miss the entrance as hundreds of Londoner’s stream past to and from the office.

Apart from Dickens it’s other famous patron was none other than the bard himself William Shakespeare who lived and worked in the area and there is no doubt that he would have frequented on a regular basis, perhaps even performing there.

The George Inn that Shakespeare knew sadly burnt down in 1676  after a serious fire destroyed most of Southwark, but it was rebuilt almost immediately to the original plans.

Shakespeare and his troupe would have drank here after their performances at the famous Globe theatre which is just down the road on the Thames.

Formerly known as the George and Dragon, the pub’s name paid homage to the famed folklore of Saint George slaying the dragon.

In its early days, it might have set the stage for Elizabethan theatrical performances, a common practice in galleried inns of that era, often known as Inn-yard theatre.

Subsequently, the Great Northern Railway seized control of the George, dismantling two of its facades to construct a warehouse and today only the southern facade remains intact.