Devonshire, Balham

A pub with copious amounts of etched and cut Victorian glasswork, and with a most attractive Victorian bar-back.

This is a substantial brick, corner-site pub, probably refitted in the late 1890s when, no doubt, the pink granite facing was fitted on the ground floor. There has been a great deal of opening out and replacement of fittings internally - such as the modern bar counter in the rear section and the modern pewter-style bar top throughout - but this pub is included here for the startling and prodigious amount of high quality glass.

Most notable is the row of etched and coloured mirrors lining the right-hand wall of the front bar, and also highly noteworthy is the eight-bay bar-back in the rear saloon with pilasters and capitals picked out in gold, and with etched mirror glass. Both the doors to the main bar at the front and the vestibule entrance on the right have glazed panels. 

In complete contrast to the mass of Victorian glazing is the inter-war glass in the outside windows of front bar where pretty, coloured pieces are interspersed randomly among the rippled and otherwise plain panes, but are nonetheless attractive in a simplistic way. The bar counter in the front bar is probably late-Victorian and the dado fielded panelling looks old. You should also note the grid design of the ceilings throughout.