The claim
On the old Great North Road through Highgate, the Wrestlers claims a lineage from 1547, though the building is a handsome 1921 rebuild with heraldic leaded glass and a vast fireplace with a bread oven. It is one of the places that keeps up the Highgate custom of 'Swearing on the Horns', performed for visitors twice a year.
What the records show
CAMRA repeats the tradition of an establishment here in 1547, but no documentary source is given; the present building dates from 1921. The 'Swearing on the Horns' custom is said to date from 1623. Historic England's list was searched around the pub on 17 September 2026 and has nothing for it. Twenty-three entries stand within two hundred metres of 98 North Road, among them the Bull Inn a little way along the same street, the two blocks of Highpoint flats at grade I, and the group listing of 92, 94 and 96 North Road, whose text covers the three houses immediately south of the pub and stops short of it. We have not traced a listing entry for the pub itself, which is unsurprising for a building of that date, and it means there is no inspector's account of the fabric to test the 1547 against. That is an absence established by searching rather than assumed from silence.
| Year | What | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1547 | Claimed founding | The pub |
| c.1921 | Present building | Building fabric |
What to look for inside
- Hosts the Ancient Ceremony of Swearing on the Horns
- 1921 rebuild with heraldic glass (CAMRA one-star interior)
- Fireplace retains an old bread oven
Visiting
The Wrestlers is in London, England, at 98 North Road, Highgate, London N6 4AA. We do not list opening times, because they change; the pub’s own site is the place to check before you set out.
Sources
- camra.org.uk/pubs/wrestlers-highgate-124852
- www.thewrestlershighgate.com
- services-eu1.arcgis.com/ZOdPfBS3aqqDYPUQ/ArcGIS/rest/services/National_Heritage_List_for_England_NHLE_v02_VIEW/FeatureServer/0/query?geometry=-0.1493%2C51.5743&geometryType=esriGeometryPoint&inSR=4326&distance=200&units=esriSRUnit_Meter&spatialRel=esriSpatialRelIntersects&outFields=ListEntry%2CName%2CGrade%2CListDate&returnGeometry=false&f=html
- ratings.food.gov.uk/business/422532
Know something we don’t?Suggest a correctionLast checked Sept 2026
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