North Star, Leytonstone

A highlight of Leytonstone’s Browning Road conservation area.

This delightful back street local was originally formed from two Victorian cottages in the 1850s. It was then substantially rebuilt and refaced at the turn of the century. It has a striking symmetrical frontage with Italianate architraves and pediments to the first floor windows and generous glazing  at the ground floor, set between fluted pilasters; the dado has glazed brown tiling.    

There are two bars separated by a central servery. At some stage, probably in the fifties, an archway was formed beyond the servery between the two halves of the pub. On the left-hand side is the former Public Bar, entered via double doors with “Public Entrance” etched in the glazing. Formerly there were two hatchways to the servery, but one is now blocked off and the other is no longer in use. The walls have full height matchboard panelling, now painted blue, which is also to be seen on the front part of the ceiling.

The right hand door proclaims ‘Saloon Bar’ in etched glazing and leads to a long  narrow room with a matchboard panelled counter to the left. This may date from a 1950s refit, though the vestigial mirrored bar-back may contain work from the early rebuilding. There’s a Victorian tiled and cast iron fireplace at the rear and a matchboard panelled ceiling at the front, dignified with an elegant frieze.