| The Magdala | |
| Location: | South Hill Park, Hampstead, London NW3 2SB, England |
| Owner: | Ori Calif |
The Magdala, also known as The Magdala Tavern or colloquially as simply The Magy, is a pub on South Hill Park in Hampstead, north London. Named after the British victory in the 1868 Battle of Magdala, it was the site of a notorious murder in 1955.
The pub building dates back to at least the mid-19th century, being built in mid-Victorian times to serve the developing neighbourhood south of Hampstead Heath.[1] The building was named after the British victory in the 1868 Battle of Magdala.[2]
The pub is included in CAMRA's heritage guide for its interior, which includes a "remarkably intact room from the 1930s" with wood panelling, an Art Deco frieze and a Tudor-style pink marble fireplace.[1]
The pub became infamous as the location outside which Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in the United Kingdom, shot her boyfriend David Blakely in April 1955.[3]
After closing for refurbishment in 2014,[3] The Magdala reopened in January 2015 before closing again in February 2016, with the upper floors converted to flats.[4] It reopened again as a pub and restaurant in May 2021.[5]
The Magdala has been listed as an Asset of Community Value since September 2014.[4] It is owned by Ori Calif.[6]