The Mooring & Mast

Originally built as a lodging house for sailors in the mid-1800s, the Mooring & Mast retains its utilitarian charm. The narrow staircase creaks under every step, and the halls smell faintly of tar, rum, and damp linen. The ground floor houses a simple common room with long benches, a small hearth, and an ever-boiling kettle. Above are several cramped but clean rooms: single berths, shared dormitories, and a handful of private quarters for those willing to pay extra.

Despite its rough edges, the place feels lived-in rather than neglected. The mismatched furniture is sturdy, the floors swept daily, and every window bears the marks of sailors who have carved their initials into the wood before setting out to sea again.

Atmosphere

The Mooring & Mast is less lively than the Bull and Compass but far from silent. It hums with low conversation, the scrape of chairs, and the clink of mugs. In summer, the windows are open to let in the river breeze; in winter, the fire burns hot and the common room fills with the smell of stew and tobacco. It serves as a quiet refuge for those who have had their fill of drink and song but still crave companionship.

On foggy nights, one can hear the faint echo of laughter and shanties drifting across from the Bull and Compass—an oddly comforting reminder that the Nook, for all its shadows, is alive.

Management & Staff

The inn is run by Captain William Hawke and his long-time companion and former first mate, Raghav Bhattacharya. Harrow, once a Royal Navy officer turned merchant captain, is a broad-shouldered man with a booming laugh and a talent for storytelling. Rajan, taller and quieter, handles the day-to-day operations with the efficiency of someone long used to command.

It is an open secret that the two men are partners in every sense. Their bond commands respect among the locals; anyone foolish enough to mock them soon learns that both possess the strength and temper of seasoned seafarers.

Clientele & Function

Rooms are rented by the night or the week, often to sailors between voyages or men waiting to sign onto a new ship. The establishment’s discretion and affordable prices also make it a popular choice for those who prefer to remain unnoticed. In the harsh winters, Harrow and Rajan quietly open one of the dormitories to the alley’s street workers, giving them shelter when the Thames fog turns lethal.

Though the building is no stranger to smugglers and shady dealings, trouble rarely lasts long; Captain Harrow’s presence alone is enough to keep most men in line.

Reputation

Among dockside folk, the Mooring & Mast is considered a place of rough kindness—where no one asks too many questions, and no one leaves hungry or freezing. To outsiders, it appears as just another boarding house in a forgotten alley, but to those who know Shady Nook, it is a second home.

Locals claim that every sailor who stays there dreams of the sea again before dawn, as if the house itself remembers the tides.