Carlton Tavern is to re-open; the only building on its block to survive Nazi blitz, which was ordered rebuilt ‘brick-by-brick’ after it was illegally knocked down by an Israeli development company, The Times of Israel reports.
… heritage site will reopen …. six years after the city council ordered it rebuilt ‘brick-by-brick…
… fully booked for the next two weeks…
The Times of Israel writes:
A historic London pub that was illegally knocked down by an Israeli development company two days before it was set to be declared a heritage site will reopen Monday, six years after the city council ordered it rebuilt “brick-by-brick.”
The Carlton Tavern in Maida Vale, West London, was the only building on its block to survive the Nazi blitz in World War II, and will be one of the thousands of pubs across Britain that will open their doors Monday as the country lifts some coronavirus restrictions.
The Carlton Tavern was demolished without permission in 2015 by an Israeli-owned development firm CTLX LTD, which intended to build an apartment block on the site.
The demolition of the historic pub — first built in the 1860’s, destroyed in World War I by a German Zeppelin bomb, and then rebuilt in the 1920’s — sparked an outcry and a petition to the local council.
The demolition happened just two days before Historic England was due to recommend the pub be granted Grade-II listed status.
The Westminster City Council told CTLX to rebuild the pub “brick by brick.” The company refused and appealed, but local authorities upheld the order.
CLTX is a relatively unknown company with only one listed director, Tel Aviv lawyer Ori Calif, according to the Ha’aretz daily.
The reopening was delayed by several successive coronavirus lockdowns. The new owners had initially planned to reopen in May, but when the British government announced that pubs could open on April 12, they rushed to get ready.
“Since it’s been announced, it’s gone absolutely crazy. We are fully booked for the next two weeks and our website isn’t even up yet,” Tom Rees told the Daily Mail.
“We’re going to have to sacrifice a few things like some furniture inside that we were hoping to have ready for the opening which will hopefully be completed when we can get customers indoors,” he said.
Parts of the new bar, fireplace and bannister have been reclaimed from the rubble of the pub, which gives it “character and charm,” he told the paper.
Rees added: ‘It’s a really good commercial opportunity. We love this romantic idea of bringing this pub back….
