A legendary rock institution where Mick Jagger recruited Ronnie Wood for the Rolling Stones and Guns and Roses’ Slash started a bar brawl has moved to Archway.

The Intrepid Fox – now in the Archway Tavern, in Archway Road – is one of the best known music boozers in the world and has a illustrious history littered with rock and roll heavyweights.

Based in Soho for more than 200 years, the Fox became many an axman’s favourite when the famous Marquee club opened nearby.

Mr Jagger is said to have poached a young Ronnie Wood from Rod Stewart’s band in a corner of the pub; Lemmy from Motorhead was a big fan of the fruit machines and on one memorable night Slash launched a shot glass at Phil Mogg from UFO’s head before drowning his sorrows.

But in 2006 the developers moved in and the Fox was forced to relocate to St Giles High Street, near Tottenham Court Road, before finding themselves homeless once again at the start of this year.

Now the old venue’s legend will continue in Islington.

Kate Calvert from the Better Archway Forum (BAF), said; “It’s really cool to have such an iconic music establishment relocate to Archway after so many years in Soho.

“The Archway Tavern always had a reputation as a good music pub, but sadly that had faded away in recent years.

“It’s good to see it being revived like this.

“Hopefully this will attract people from far and wide to the area, as well as being great for the people who live nearby.”

Other famous fans of the fox include Sex Pistol’s manager Malcolm McLaren, who named it in his top five bars in the world, actor Ewan Mcgregor, Richard Harris, Richard Burton and director Ken Russell who shot the sex scenes for one of his films upstairs.

The staff famously turned away David Hasselhoff one Saturday night for being too trendy in designer leather.