On the pavement outside a London pub, 32-year-old Lydia Wood sits in the sunshine at her easel, sketching with a pencil. Passersby pause to glimpse her work, unaware that this is part of a years-long project with no end in sight. Wood began what she calls “the pub project” in 2021. Since then, she has drawn intricately detailed sketches of more than 350 pubs. Her goal is to draw all 3,500-or-so of London’s beloved watering holes—a quest that could take at least 10 years.
From Job Loss to Viral Art
After losing her teaching job during Covid, Wood started sharing her art online and asked social media followers if they wanted her to draw their favourite pubs. “I didn’t anticipate the response,” Wood says. “People genuinely missed the ritual of going to the pub with their friends, and they were worried about the pubs that were struggling.” Her pub drawings subsequently went viral and have now been collected in a book, Locals, which contains 60 intricate pencil drawings of boozers across London. There are riverside pubs, pubs in alleyways, pubs with cats, and even a whole chapter on pubs called The Coach and Horses. “I wanted the book to feel like you are suddenly pulled to one end of the city, and then to the other,” Wood says.
Celebrating Community Under Threat
For Wood, the work isn’t just about documenting architecture but celebrating the communities within them. Pubs are under threat across Britain—in the capital, around 1,000 pubs have closed in the last 20 years. Yet people still need them. “There are pubs trying to attract younger generations with drag shows, book clubs and quiz nights,” Wood explains. “And I think that will be rewarded in the long term.” She receives messages constantly: “Come and draw my pub, or please, can you draw this pub before it gets demolished next year?” Wood says. “Pubs serve a huge purpose, especially for those communities growing up around them.”
Drawing at Risk Pubs
She recently travelled to south Wimbledon to draw the 150-year-old Trafalgar pub after learning that developers wanted to demolish it for flats. “Some of my Instagram friends, who also make pub content, were making a video documentary about this pub at risk,” Wood says. “It’s more than 100 years old and a beautiful building.” Locals are campaigning to bring The Trafalgar under community ownership. The drawings take anywhere from six hours to multiple days to complete. “I could have picked an easier medium to work with to make the process quicker, but I think the pencil is often underestimated as a tool,” she says. “It’s used for the sketch stage, or the beginning or idea. But to use it to make the piece as a whole is an interesting process.”
Meeting People and Discovering London
Spending long periods outside pubs means she meets many new people. She often receives free pints from landlords and chats with curious locals. Her art becomes a vehicle to talk about pubs in crisis, but also the history of London. “It opened my eyes to the city,” she says. “From a quiet countryside lane in Richmond to a bustling road in Limehouse, it’s really fun to experience the whole spectrum of locations.”
Five of the Capital’s Boozers
Ship & Shovell, Charing Cross: This pub consists of two buildings: The Ship on one side, and The Shovell on the other. Originally two terrace houses, the pubs are connected via an underground passage. “This drawing is about 90% alleyway and only 10% pub,” Wood says.
The Faltering Fullback, Finsbury Park: Adorned in greenery, the beer garden feels like a treehouse with multiple levels. “When I was sketching outside, a group of schoolchildren and their teacher came to watch me draw the pub,” Wood says. “What I love about this project is the people I get to meet.”
Blythe Hill Tavern, Catford: Wood’s drawing project began close to home. “This is my favourite pub because it is my local, and I have so many memories here. It’s the first pub that I drew.”
The Blackfriar, Blackfriars: Built on the site of a medieval Dominican friary, the exterior is depicted on a canvas of 42 by 52.9cm—the largest drawing Wood has completed. “My drawings usually take five or six hours to complete. This one took me five days.”
The Cockpit, Blackfriars: The pub used to be a literal cock-fighting pit in the 19th century, while William Shakespeare is said to have bought a house near the site in the 1600s. “Each little layer of the pub is different. Its mosaics, etched glass, brickwork and gargoyles make it really unique.”
The Rifleman, Twickenham: Named after WWI rifleman Frank Edwards, also known as the Footballer of Loos, the pub is under threat of closure and locals are fighting to keep it going. “I was caught in the rain and had the pleasure of finishing the drawing inside by the open fire with a pint. Loyal locals also kept buying me drinks as I worked,” Wood says.
Locals: An Illustrated Ode to London’s Pubs by Lydia Wood is published by Hodder and Stoughton.
