The Dog & Bull
A historic Grade II listed public house on Surrey Street in Croydon, London.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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History
The Dog & Bull stands on Surrey Street in Croydon, a street with a long association with markets and trading. The site is believed to have previously housed an inn called The Bell, established during the medieval development of the street in the twelfth or thirteenth century. Archaeologists have identified a medieval stone-vaulted undercroft nearby, but the relationship between that structure and the earlier inn has not been established. The current building dates principally from the eighteenth century and has a later nineteenth-century frontage. Its red-brick construction, sash windows, wooden eaves and surviving pub fittings contributed to its Grade II listing. The name Dog & Bull is traditionally associated with bull-baiting. The premises originally included number 24 and an adjoining yard containing a well and watering troughs. When Surrey Street was known as Butcher’s Row, the yard was used as a pound for stray animals and cattle. It later became a beer garden. In the early 1990s, the neighbouring grocery at number 25, formerly operated by A. E. Pearce, was incorporated into the pub, giving the business its current two-number footprint. The site appears repeatedly in Croydon’s local and legal history. In the early eighteenth century, Nicholas Northorpe, described as landlord of the Bell or Dog and Bull, was sentenced to death for felony. In 1820, Surrey coroner Charles Jemmett held an inquest at the pub into the accidental death of a nine-year-old girl who had been fatally burned near Butcher’s Row. Later nineteenth-century reports describe a robbery in the yard, a horse-stealing case involving landlords Elijah and Eliza King as witnesses, and an incident in 1898 in which landlord Arthur King became connected with the police investigation of suspected thieves. The pub developed a long relationship with Young’s brewery. It was a tied house under lease from 1832 and was acquired by Young’s in 1899. Young’s Bitter and Young’s Special were among its regular beers, with guest ales also available. The tie helped place the pub within a recognizable London brewery network while its local market setting preserved a distinct neighborhood identity. During the 1970s, the venue became a notable live-jazz setting. Saxophonist Don Weller’s band Major Surgery performed weekly there for approximately six years. Accounts of the period portray a crowded, smoky market pub in which musicians, traders, students and other local patrons gathered around a very small performance area. Around 2010, the landlady organized an annual street festival, extending the pub’s role into community programming. The venue later hosted a religiously themed beer-blessing procession in 2016. The Dog & Bull has also had a presence in popular culture. Surrey Street was used as a filming location, and the pub appeared several times in the long-running television drama The Bill. Its reputation was reinforced by heritage and beer-focused recognition: CAMRA named it London Pub of the Year in 1994 and Croydon & Sutton Pub of the Year in 2016. A 2018 Londonist review characterized it as a successful blend of a traditional pub and a more fashionable bar. Prince Charles visited in 1994 while meeting traders at Surrey Street Market. Recent operating history includes participation in the UK Eat Out to Help Out scheme in July 2020. Recorded licensees include Ann and Frank Egan in 1994, Daniel Chapman by 2018, and Lesley and Mark Knight in 2021. In 2025, the pub left the Young’s estate, changed ownership and reopened on 9 May as The Dog. It is now described as a Laine pub owned by Punch Pubs, marking the latest transition in the venue’s long operating history.
- 2025
Reopened as The Dog
[1]After leaving Young’s, the venue reopened on 9 May as The Dog under Punch Pubs ownership and the Laine pub concept.
- 2020
Eat Out to Help Out participation
[1]The pub joined the UK government’s temporary Eat Out to Help Out dining scheme.
- 2016
CAMRA Croydon & Sutton Pub of the Year
[1]The Dog & Bull received regional CAMRA recognition and hosted a beer-blessing procession led by the vicar of Croydon Minster.
- 1994
CAMRA London Pub of the Year
[1]The pub received the Campaign for Real Ale’s London Pub of the Year award.
- 1990
Premises expanded and yard renovated
[1]The adjacent grocery at number 25 was incorporated into the pub and the former animal pound yard was converted into a beer garden during early-1990s renovations.
- 1970
Major Surgery jazz residency
[1]Don Weller’s band Major Surgery performed weekly at the pub for approximately six years during the 1970s.
- 1899
Acquired by Young’s
[1]Young’s acquired the pub, continuing its long association with the brewery.
- 1832
Young’s leasehold relationship begins
[1]The pub became a tied house under lease from Young’s brewery.
- 1820
Coroner’s inquest held at the pub
[1]Surrey coroner Charles Jemmett held an inquest into the accidental death of a nine-year-old girl.
- 1700
Current eighteenth-century building constructed
[1]The present red-brick pub building was erected in the eighteenth century and later received a nineteenth-century frontage.
Products and positioning
A heritage Croydon market pub combining traditional English pub character, beer-led hospitality, local events and a casual bar experience.
Beer
Draught beer and cask ale
Beer is central to the pub’s proposition. During its Young’s period, regular draught offerings included Young’s Bitter and Young’s Special, alongside guest ales. The current beer range may differ following the 2025 change of ownership.
Food service
Pub food
The venue operates as a food-serving pub as well as a drinking establishment. Specific current dishes and menus are not established in the supplied reference material.
Entertainment
Live music
Live music has been part of the venue’s cultural identity, most notably through Don Weller’s Major Surgery jazz residency during the 1970s. The pub has also hosted community and street-festival events.
Marketing campaigns
- 2020Eat Out to Help Out
United Kingdom
The Dog & Bull participated in the UK government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme, which supported participating hospitality businesses and encouraged customers to dine out during the COVID-19 period.
Outcome. The pub was recorded as a participating venue; no venue-specific financial outcome is established in the supplied sources.
- 2010Annual Surrey Street festival
Croydon · United Kingdom
Around 2010, the landlady organized an annual street festival, reinforcing the pub’s role in local community and market-street activity.
Outcome. The event is documented as part of the pub’s community programming; further performance details are unavailable.
Brand decisions
2025
Change of ownership and rebrandingM&ABackground
The pub had been associated with Young’s since the nineteenth century, first under lease and later through ownership.
Action taken
The business changed hands, left the Young’s estate and reopened on 9 May 2025 as The Dog under Punch Pubs ownership and the Laine pub concept.
Aftermath
The venue remains an active pub, but its operating group, name and branding changed.
1990
Expansion into adjacent premises and creation of beer gardenStrategyBackground
The pub historically included a yard and occupied number 24 on Surrey Street.
Action taken
The adjoining number 25 grocery premises were incorporated into the pub, while the former yard was renovated as a beer garden.
Aftermath
The business expanded its footprint and added an outdoor customer area while retaining historic site features.
Recent events
- 2025
The Dog & Bull reopened as The Dog under Punch Pubs ownership[1]
M&A · Leadership change · Other
The pub changed hands after its long association with Young’s, reopened on 9 May and became a Laine pub owned by Punch Pubs.
- 2020
The Dog & Bull participated in Eat Out to Help Out[1]
Campaign · Other
The Croydon pub took part in the UK government’s temporary dining-discount scheme during the COVID-19 period.
- 2016
The Dog & Bull received CAMRA regional recognition[1]
Other
The pub was named CAMRA’s Croydon & Sutton Pub of the Year.
- 2016
The Dog & Bull hosted a beer-blessing procession[1]
Other
The vicar of Croydon Minster led a procession to the pub and blessed its beer.
- 1994
The Dog & Bull was named CAMRA London Pub of the Year[1]
Other
The pub received London-wide recognition from the Campaign for Real Ale.
Sources2 sources
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