Trafalgar Tavern Greenwich 2024 — An Original Watercolour Study

On a bright summer day in 2024, Rob McIntosh photographed the Trafalgar Tavern in Greenwich, England as it rarely looks — festooned from rooftop to terrace in a full dress of nautical signal flags, the sky behind it a tumble of blue and white cloud. That photograph became the source for this luminous watercolour study: a celebration of one of London’s most storied riverside pubs, captured at its most joyful.

What Makes This Piece

• Based on an original 2024 photograph by Elliott Best — a moment in time, not a stock image
• Rendered in a loose, expressive watercolour style that preserves the warmth and spontaneity of the scene
• The Trafalgar Tavern has stood on the Thames at Greenwich since 1837 — a favourite of Dickens, Turner, and generations of Londoners
• Nautical signal flags, lush ivy, and the tavern’s distinctive cream and navy facade give the composition extraordinary colour and life

The Trafalgar Tavern is not merely a pub — it is a landmark. Whitebait dinners here were once a tradition for Cabinet ministers. The Thames laps at its terrace. This watercolour captures it on a day when it was dressed for celebration, flags snapping in the river breeze, the whole building alive with colour. It is London at its most generous and warm.

Perfect For

Lovers of London, admirers of British pub culture and architecture, collectors of original watercolour-style works, and anyone who has stood on the banks of the Thames and felt the pull of the city.