Pear Tree, Hammersmith

Three storey late-Victorian pub of red brick with ‘The Pear Tree’ in stone relief at the apex of the building and carved heads in stone over the windows on the first floor. The ground floor has a larvikite finish and there are doors on the left and right with ornate cast-ironwork above including the wording ‘The Pear Tree’. The door on the left is now blocked so the interior was originally subdivided but any partitions were removed some time ago. The double doors to the right form the entrance into what would probably have been a small vestibule with doors leading to front and side bars. The same layout probably would have been in place to the left, creating originally a four-room pub, with the later addition of a room at the back. Markings on the bar top indicate the position of the partitions in Victorian times. Despite refits and removal of partitions, the pub has not suffered too much and retains an unspoiled feel.

The U-shaped bar takes up a large portion of the trading area and has an old counter which looks more inter-war than Victorian. Dark brown stained panels on the front may be original or a later addition. The bar back has three bays. To the left is a doorway. The other two bays contain a fine wooden stand with etched mirrors and multi-pane upper sections reaching the ceiling. A fireplace on the left has a carved wood surround and a 1930s brick interior; the one on the right has a carved wood surround and brown tiled interior that could be from an inter-war refit. The front area has recently painted widows to accentuate the pear connection.

A doorway to the right that has been widened has curtains (very traditional) and leads to a small room with dado panelling painted, so difficult to date. There is a wood surround fireplace that has been filled in. A large mirror with a tarnished carved wood frame has been painted off-white. There is a hatch to the back of the servery. Opens at 5pm Mon to Fri.