Strike has been watching Wally Cardew and Thurisaz in Whitehall Gardens, and he follows them when they leave.

“The pair he was tailing turned into a narrow alley called Craven Passage and were headed towards a pub called the Ship & Shovell, which was in fact a pub in two halves, which faced each other across the alley. Both establishments had red doors and window frames and sported identical signs showing a portly bewigged seventeenth-century seaman. Wally and Thurisaz entered the bar on the right” (The Ink Black Heart, Chapter 42).

Strike smokes a cigarette outside before entering.

“Wooden booths lined one side of the small bar, which was very crowded. In one of the booths nearest the door sat Wally, Thurisaz and a third individual” (The Ink Black Heart, Chapter 42).

Strike buys himself a pint of Badger and stands close to the booth to listen to their conversation.

Unfortunately, Strike falls, hurting his leg, and then has an unpleasant encounter with Thurisaz in the gents. Strike makes his escape in a black cab, which he hails in Craven Street.

The Ship & Shovell is a Victorian pub that is extremely unusual in that it consists of two separate buildings on either side of the street. The buildings were originally two separate pubs (The Shovell and The Ship) but were joined into one pub in 1998 by the construction of a tunnel under Craven Passage, which contains the cellar and the kitchen.

You can find out more about the Ship & Shovell on their website: www.shipandshovell.co.uk

You can find the Ship & Shovell on the map below:

Address: 1-3 Craven Passage, London WC2N 5PH