Home > London > NW1 > Caernarvon Castle Caernarvon Castle

Picture source: bobbybray.com

The Caernarvon Castle was situated at 7  Chalk Farm Road. This pub had been the Fusilier & Firkin then the Camden Rock Café at the time of closure. It was then converted into a clothes shop called G-Heaven which was gutted in the Great Fire of Camden on the night of Saturday 9th February 2008. Now demolished, the site is occupied by a row of huts selling take-away Asian street food. The photo below shows water being pumped into the pub the day after the fire.

T C

As a recently-graduated American college student on his first trip to the U.K. in 1988, I had the pleasure of visitin the Caernarvon Castle, in Camden Town one early Sunday during Market Day. My friends who were living in Chalk Farm took me to see Wolfie Witcher “Gummin on his gob iron” and told me to go to the bar and order “two jars of snakebite.” I asked, “what the **** is snakebite?” to which they responded, “just buy the drink, idiot!” I did, and over the course of the late morning/early afternoon, we danced our young asses of to Wolfie, and I was introduced to the joys of snakebite, the results of which proved to be a two day break in my travels to recover! I never got back to the Castle, but I will never, ever forget this most classy of down ‘n dirty pubs. We called it going to church that day, and going to church has ever after meant the Caernarvon Castle to me.

Chris Soholt, Riverside, California (March 2014)

I visited the Caernarvon Castle pub infrequently between 1986 and 1990 with a friend or flatmate, whoever was free. Loved Wolfie Witcher, still have his tapes (but nothing to play them on). Brilliant atmosphere guaranteed.

Joanne Maloney (February 2023)

We used to go there at lunch times for a game of pool because we worked across the road in the lock. Used to be empty. Chris the landlord used to say “Just you ******s again? Pour yourselves a beer and put the money in the til, I’m going back to bed” On Friday nights he did an early evening cocktail. “Cost you a pound each”. He would then get a big jug and run along the optics and add some fruit juice. Bloody lethal! Always told the large taxidermy head on the wall was from the cover of Gots Head Soup by the Stones. Mind you David Bailey only lived in Chalk Farm so could be true.

Paul Hooper (June 2023)

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Name	Dates	Comments
Gavin Middleton	1986-1987	So sad to see the demise of my work place/home for 10 months in the 1980's. Live music lots of Kiwis great publican Jamie lost contact with everyone very happy memories.
Gary Till	1970s	My dad Charlie Till ran the pub in the early 70,s, it was rough house, before. Monopoly a band who went on to win the tv show new faces and then its subsequent all winners show, packed out the pub. Dingwall market had just started, a handful of stalls only inhabited the run down canal wharf. The first camden music festival was refused a bar license , we provided the booze on a makeshift bar,four empty crates and two scaffolding planks,
Frances Hayes	1988-1990	Used to visit it every sunday morning, brilliant band called Jimmy Classic and the side kicks used to play there. So many happy memories, still have the t-shirt I bought there.
Sheila Prendeville	c1972	Customer in my early 20s - met my "one that got away" in here - you know who you are.
Michelle Churchland (nee Proctor)	1992/1993	Was member of bar staff, lived in, on top floor (was working there for few months and on the awesome last night just before they closed for renovations, turning it into another bland and boring chain-store firkin pub. Great pub, happy memories!
Steve The Mod	1990s-2000s	I used to drink & watch the bands in this pub every Saturday. I remember seeing bands like 100% and Metalworks. So many great memories. I am trying to make contact with an old friend who worked in there around this time, her name was Maria and I believe her surname was Andersson. She was from Sweden, she also worked with a girl from Australia called Rebecca around this time. If anybody has any info or contact details, please get in touch.
Mal Green	1990-1991	Played a few gigs there with my first band. We travelled from Manchester and did a few places including the George Roby and Rock Garden. We were a 4 piece Indie band. I remember buying the coolest shades from Camden Market and a couple of bootleg CD’s - happy days!
Peter Gillingham	1982-1995	Customer, regularly on Sunday for Iain Campbell band, remember Jamie as a great landlord, happy memories of the place.
Trevor Doughty	1989-1992	Lived and died in this glorious, 7 nights a week blues bar. When I first walked in I knew I'd arrived! Got engaged on stage one Sunday lunchtime with the 'Fabulous Marauders' playing, and whilst wearing the T-shirt, bumped into a Aussie patron on the steps of the Taj Mahal. It was that kinda pub! We campaigned to keep our 'home' open, but alas, it closed in '92. Great music, people and memories!
Chris Johnson	1983-1990	Always tried to drop in when the great Wolfie Witcher and Brew were playing, nothing better to have a weekend with live music, a beer and a good crowd. My non working saturdays always started in the Carnarvon and finished in Dingwall's or the Dublin. Good memories at the Carnarvon with great sounds.
Jo Pitman	1974-1981	David and Hazel Pitman were the publicans. from 1974 for seven years. They had live music on Sunday afternoons. Singers were encouraged to get up and do a turn
Eugene Gogs Lyons	1988-1991	Used to go there every weekend. Great place, great bands, great people. Saw Eric Bell and the sunsets, Poor boys, Fabulous Marauders to name but a few. Many fond memories.
Bill Hitch	1988	I was an American student doing and exchange program through the City University of London. Some of my mates there told me I had to go with them to Caernarvon Castle Pub in Camden and hear this band play called Wolfie Witcher. I was hooked! Every Saturday morning a group of us would head to the "Castle". We would be at the door waiting for them to open and the last one to be thrown out when the pub closed for mid day. Many great memories there!

Other Photos
Date of photo: 2008	Picture source: PA
Wolfie Witcher & His Brew, 1989	Picture source: Tony Shaw