According to London’s Lost Pubs, a new book by Sam Cullen, The Three Tuns at 157 High Street, Beckenham, first opened in the early 1830s before being rebuilt in the interwar period with a mock Tudor frontage.
The style was so popular with breweries at the time that it became known as “Brewers Tudor.”
At the end of the 1960s, Bowie started performing here almost every Sunday as part of what was originally called The Folk Club, later renamed the Beckenham Arts Lab.
He continued to appear at the venue until 1973. Other musical entertainment also took place here, with entries on the Lost Pubs website recalling popular jazz nights during the same period.
During the 1990s, The Three Tuns was renamed the Rat and Parrot, part of a larger chain. It briefly returned to its original name before closing for good in 2003.
The following year, it was converted into a branch of Zizzi’s restaurant.
A plaque commemorating Bowie’s connection to the pub was installed in December 2001 but was removed after its closure. It was later reinstated in 2010.
When Bowie passed away in January 2016, fans gathered outside the former pub, leaving floral tributes on the pavement.
The decline of traditional pubs remains a growing issue across the UK.
Last year alone, 412 pubs closed, with London losing 55. Despite this, the capital still has 3,470 pubs keeping its drinking culture alive.
Cullen’s book explores the history of more than 200 lost pubs, ensuring their stories and their drinkers are not forgotten.
He said: “As much as it’s sad that these pubs don’t exist any more, I wanted to make sure they are not lost to time by telling their stories, their history, and some of the quirky characters who drank in them.”
