Castle Inn, Battersea High Street

Watercolour by J.T. Wilson, depicting the Castle Inn, Battersea High Street. 1868.

The watercolour depicts a street scene, with a dirt road, buildings and an enclosed tree lined area to the left. There are figures on the street, including 2 groups of two, one standing and one sitting, near the entrance of the inn and a man in a horse-drawn carriage.

The building is a three-story structure, with a prominent projecting bay window with a street lamp on the first floor and a horse entrance under it. The buildings in the watercolour have a light coloured façade with a slight yellowish tint. On top of the projecting window there is a sign with "YOUNG/BAINBRIDGE/ENTIRE" in golden letters on blue background on the side, and "GI/CAS/IN" in golden letters on a red background facing the front of the building.

The scene is dominated by a group of large leafy trees in the back of the composition, behind a low wall.

The original Castle Inn stood on 115 Battersea High Street from around 1600 until its demolition in 1963. The pub was known for its traditional wooden sign, which was rediscovered shortly before demolition. During the teardown, workers uncovered a hoard of gold coins, later declared treasure and sent to the British Museum—except for two, which were ceremonially buried beneath the foundations of the new building. The Castle Inn was replaced in 1965 by a Young’s pub, which retained the name and displayed the original sign. The pub closed in 2013.