The claim
A long, low, whitewashed pub on the Thames bank opposite Hampton Court, with flagstones round the bar, a glazed gallery at the back and benches by the water looking across to Thames Ditton Island. Greene King refurbished it in early 2026. Food all day, dogs and children welcome.
What the records show
The Swan is advertised as a 13th-century riverside pub, with a story that Henry VIII used the site as a hunting lodge. Historic England describes something quite different: two early C18 houses in colourwashed brick, joined by a C19 link and extended again at the right-hand end to make one public house. Nothing in the listing reaches beyond about 1700, and no medieval record of drinking on the bank here was traced. The riverside setting opposite Hampton Court is real; the 13th century is not established.
What to look for inside
- On the Thames bank opposite Hampton Court Palace
- Two early C18 houses joined into one pub
- Refurbished in February 2026
Visiting
Ye Olde Swan is in Thames Ditton, England, at Summer Road, Thames Ditton KT7 0QQ. We do not list opening times, because they change; the pub’s own site is the place to check before you set out.
Sources
- historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1030113
- camra.org.uk/pubs/olde-swan-thames-ditton-179848
- www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/gallery/see-inside-beautiful-13th-century-33459598
- www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/surrey/vol3/pp462-467
- ratings.food.gov.uk/business/1778344
Know something we don’t?Suggest a correctionLast checked Sept 2026
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