Against all odds London’s most photographed derelict pub is coming back from the dead.

For 25 years the interior condition of the decaying Lord Napier in Hackney Wick teased out curiosity from residents and passers by. The wrecked shell has featured in countless urban exploring and graffiti books and been featured thousands of times on social media. It was with excitement that I visited in late August 2020 to have a tour of the works in progress.

I’ve covered close to twenty ‘back from the dead’ pub projects since starting London Pub Explorer and the Lord Napier, along with The Boleyn, was the most coveted. I’d hoped for a long time to be able to stand within this empty shell, drink in the buildings mystery and past while capturing the changes. I was ecstatic when Rob Star of Electric Star pubs agreed to meet me on site to document the progress.

Urban Exploring was part of the genesis for LPE and, as I said to the boys on site, to be permitted entry to explore within the belly of this beast in transition was like a hit of pub heroin.

Since closing in 1995 the Lord Napier has hosted illegal raves, squatters and some of London’s most iconic graffiti. It will now live again in a huge project being taken on by Rob and his team who run 6 other crackers, mostly across East and North London. The old Gent is in very safe hands with a company who although ring in the changes are also respectful of a buildings heritage and maintaining its soul.

After donning a hard hat and high-vi I was taken inside by Site Manager Mariusz and Architect Daniel to learn all about the project and how it was progressing. I never drank here and was surprised how large the downstairs footprint is as it looks deceptively small from the outside. They’ve dug down a further c.3m into the cellar which is where the toilets will be located and it was quite a sight digesting the scale of the works. Upstairs is also deceptively large compared to your perception from looking at it on street and they’re going to be able to get a good few tables in and no doubt the DJ Decks for those late night vibes.

The jewel in it’s crown is the huge roof terrace. In lead up conversations I hadn’t been made aware of this asset and it was a rush taking in the Hackney Wick skyline and seeing the Overground trains rattle past into the station.

In an area of bars this part of E9 has been crying out for a boozer since the Lea Tavern closed in 2008 and in early summer 2021 it’s finally going to get it. As with all Electric Star pubs the company name is incorporated into the pubs title but where possible the history of the building is retained by respectfully keeping a part of the old name. The ‘Lord Napier Star’ will be the old gents twenty first century moniker which has a nice ring to it.

Big thanks to Rob Star for making this happen. I returned in mid-March 2021 to capture the next stage of development and the project is in rude health and on track for a June 2021 reopening a quarter of a century after it last sold a pulled pint. Miracles do sometimes happen. I’m looking forward to enjoy nursing a cold pint up on the roof terrace later in the summer which will be a glorified triumph for pub preservation in East London.