Rock Island

General information

Bar and Grill Dining Experience

Welcome to the newly opened and refurbished Rock Island London at the Thomas A Becket: the renowned grand building on Old Kent Road, informs us for its compelling historical association with the macabre worlds of boxing, politics, crime and paranormal.

Originally known as the St Thomas A Watering, the site marked the extremists of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s archdiocese. Following St Thomas A Becket’s assassination, his body was laid to rest in Canterbury Cathedral whereupon Christian pilgrims would lodge at St Thomas A Watering en route to Becket’s Tomb.

Arthur Ward, one time landlord claimed sighting a ghost who created a coal fire and took to breaking glass. Joe Lucy former British boxing welterweight champion claimed witnessing 3 ghoulish nuns walking along the section me floor corridors whispering comprehensibly. Legend has it that Jack the Ripper himself left a shiny bag in the salon containing “a sharp dagger, clasp knife and two knife and two pairs of scissors” leading to the arrest of a suspect.

With the boxing gymnasium on the second floor the Thomas A Becket has played host to the likes of British sporting hero Sir Henry Cooper, “Sugar” Ray Leonard, “Smokin” Joe Frazier, “Iron” Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali.