London Bridge
The English Village
Whether you're looking to enjoy a leisurely stroll, lovely scenery, a delicious meal or fun places to shop, you'll find it all at the English Village.
Home to the Tripadvisor award-winning Lake Havasu City Visitor Center, the English Village is a charming waterfront shopping, dining and sightseeing area located on the east (mainland) side of Bridgewater Channel.
Enjoy close-up views of the London Bridge as you explore a variety of boutique shops featuring resort wear, snacks, souvenirs and much more. Watercraft and bicycle rentals are available from rental companies in the area, as are a range of water-based guided tours by local tour operators.
422 English Village (free parking)
Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403
Fees: Free
English Village History
Lake Havasu City was founded in 1963, but it was not until 1971 that this new desert community gained tremendous international publicity. That year, the London Bridge was rededicated after its massive-scale reconstruction process was completed. To welcome visitors and support the sale of residential lots, built on raw, vacant land in the Arizona desert, McCulloch Properties also built an open-air mall called the English Village. Located on a vacant three-acre site on the northeast corner of the London Bridge, the English Village was anchored by Hog in Armor Pub and City of London Arms Restaurant.
The English Village was not constructed as a permanent commercial center. The storefronts were more akin to what a Hollywood studio lot might look like, with ornate facades affixed to clapboard-type construction behind them. Nevertheless, the concept won the affection of visitors and residents alike. New construction expanded the English theme to the more permanent retail stores, as well as the London Bridge Resort on the southeast corner of the bridge in later years. However, the footprint for the English Village has always been north of the bridge.
After most of the residential lots were sold, the English Village became unnecessary for McCulloch Properties. A brief renaissance followed its sale, as local investors tried to recreate its atmosphere of family entertainment. The original pub and restaurant were expanded into a microbrewery and then a playhouse, but they folded after the cost to sustain the magic was simply too great. With additional competition from bustling Laughlin in Southern Nevada and other desert entertainment venues, the number of visitors to the venue began to decline.
The English Village went through a series of different owners in the 1990s, each of whom tried unsuccessfully to revitalize the area. As a result, the facility fell into disrepair as the crowds all but vanished. An effort to have the City purchase and redevelop it was launched in 2006, but local taxpayers voted down the ballot initiative. By the time the Great Recession leveled the U.S. economy in 2007, the English Village had become an eyesore that was losing more money than it was taking in.
The mortgage holder at the time foreclosed upon what remained of the property in 2012. The retail occupancy rate had dropped to less than 35 percent. The loose collection of shops that remained to cater to visitors and local residents had abandoned the British theme.
Today, Recent History
Visitors at the English Village enjoy a vibrant mix of shopping, sightseeing, dining, entertainment, outdoor recreation and tours. Most of the original temporary buildings have been torn down to create retail space catering to tourists. The Go Lake Havasu tourism bureau operates a newly remodeled Visitor Center where the City of London Arms Pub was located. The English Village area is now also home to the Holiday Inn Express & Suites hotel.
