HISTORY OF THE RING
The Ring public house is an ode to the historic boxing location in South London that stood opposite. Built in 1783, The Ring arena was originally called the Surrey Chapel, until the strange shaped building was bought by former British Lightweight champion Dick Burge and his wife Bella in 1910.
They named it simply, ‘The Ring’ and it would become the first indoor boxing ring for the working classes. Together they staged many boxing matches with well known fighters such as Len Johnson, Jack Drummond, Alf Mancini, Jack Hood and the legendary Ted ‘Kid’ Lewis. Bella of Blackfriars’, as she was known, broke the taboo of women attending boxing bouts when in 1914 she and her actress friends were the first to become female regulars at ‘The Ring’.
During a daylight raid on 25th October 1940 a huge bomb landed on Blackfriars Road and seriously damaged The Ring but another bombing raid during March 1941 almost completely destroyed the building and it was eventually demolished.
The office building opposite which now stands on the site of the original ring is named Palestra, which is defined in Greek as a place for training and wrestling practice.
