Junction, Battersea

A classic example of a ‘brewers’ Tudor’ pub situated just up the hill from the main entrance to Clapham Junction railway station. It still retains a lot of its inter-war fittings but, sadly, in 2013, owners Taylor Walker removed the division between public bar and the rear lounge and applied ‘gastro grey’ coloured paint to all of the panelling on the walls.

At the front of the pub the smallish public bar area has typical inter-war fielded wall panelling painted ‘gastro grey, the original bar counter of fielded panelling, thankfully still with its original dark stain but the bar back fitting is modern work. There is parquet floor in front of the servery but there is an inappropriate reproduction Victorian, tiled, cast iron and wood surround fireplace and the ceiling has also been painted a gastro grey colour’.

The impressive part is the back room, which is probably the result of an amalgamation of two. The rear part is a good example of one of a ‘brewers’ Tudor’ attempt at creating a medieval-style hall. This one has panelled walls and hefty, rustically treated timbers to the roof trusses – no doubt concealing very ‘un-Tudor’ steel beams but sadly, all have been painted gastro grey’. Note how much use is made of imitation adzed tooling on the timbers to enhance ye olde effect. There are also dormer windows and an attractive brick fire surround which has recently been painted a shade of yellow with modern work above it. The small bar counter has an original front of fielded panelling still mercifully sporting its original dark stain but the back fitting is modern work. There is much ‘bookshelf’ wallpaper on the walls.