Hare & Hounds, East Sheen

This early 19th Century Georgian inn is the oldest building in the area, but has been substantially modified over the years including a reworking of the interior in the 1930s.

The front entrance takes you into the main bar; the single storey extension on the right was added in the early 20th century and includes a lounge at the front and the former billiards room at the rear. These areas have been transformed by opening up in the last few decades but there is still some quality work left from the 1930s, such as the bar counter in the main bar and fielded panelling covering the walls in both this bar and the lounge.

But the main reason for inclusion here is the rather remarkable survival of the small public bar (now called the Snug Bar) on the left-hand side. It is entered either by a side door from the carriage entrance on the left or through a screen, with the door still in place, immediately on the left of the front entrance. The oak fittings in both this and the main bar are typical of the restrained work of the 1930s, such as the elegant vertically-boarded counters with linoleum inlaid tops, and simply detailed, rectilinear bar-backs