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 Bar Back.jpg "Bar Back. by Rex Ward. Published on")
 Exterior.jpg "Exterior. by Rex Ward. Published on")
In 2011 Mitchells and Butlers controversially ended the lease held for 17 years by Abigail Osborne and Tamsin Olivier, who had run it as an early gastropub. Now a managed outlet, it has not changed much since but if anything is more pubby. The right-hand side is the bar. There are dining rooms on the left and upstairs, called the Brunel Bar and the Engine Room because of a historic connection with the great engineer. The bar has stripped wood and big clear windows. There is a nice, large for the area, garden at the back with heaters and separate eating and drinking areas.
Back in 1973, there were only around 115 premises recorded as selling real ale in London. Although that number has grown many fold, sadly only three quarters of the original number still exist and are selling cask. But the fact that there are still some and that this pub is one of them is a cause for celebration. In mid Sept 2023 the guest was Salcombe Devon Amber.
One star - A pub interior of special national historic interest
Listed status: II
This pub has three separate but inter-connected rooms, and what appears to be Victorian bar counters and section of bar-back.
Built circa 1845-50 for Calvert Brewers (then Hoare & Co and subsequently Charrington). The bar counter in the main bar area has attractive scrollwork atop the vertical supports and thus looks Victorian and possibly original. The fielded panelling to dado level and surrounding the windows, as well as the counter front have all been stripped of paint and varnish. The bar back is mainly modern, but a small three-bay section on the corner angle looks Victorian but has a relatively modern clock in the centre near the top, and any glazing in the bays has been lost to, or is obscured by, chalkboards.
A second much smaller and narrow room is reached via a doorway (no door) on the left, in a single storey adjunct to the main building. It has its own, now unused, door to the street, and its own small bar counter in a similar, but not identical, style to that in the main bar. At the back and to the right of this room behind the servery is a very small and plain room which may have been brought into pub use at some stage, although it does have a small serving hatch to the servery.
Built circa 1845-50 for Calvert Brewers (Then Hoare & Co and Charrington). Three storey brown stock brick with stucco ground storey and dressings. Frontage on both Princess Road and Gloucester Avenue probably later 19th century.
The main bar area is now a single room with two doors to the street. Bar counter in this room is old, and possibly original, with scrollwork atop the vertical supports, and canted forward. There is fielded panelling to dado level, and surrounding the windows. The counter front and all the panelling has been stripped of paint and varnish. The bar back is mainly modern, but a small three-bay section on the corner angle is old. It has a relatively modern clock in the centre near the top, and any glazing in the bays has been lost to, or is obscured by, chalkboards. The serving counter beneath this section of the bar back is also old.
A second much smaller room is reached via a doorway (no door) on the left, in a single storey adjunct to the main building, and is too narrow to have been a billiards room. It has its own, now unused, door to the street, and its own small bar counter that is not canted except for an end piece by the door separated from the rest of the counter by the staff access hatch. The scrollwork on this counter is slightly different in design to that in the main room so looks like modern work carefully created to match the main bar one. At the back and to the right of this room is a third room behind the servery. This room is very plain and may have been brought into pub use at some stage, but does have a small serving hatch to the servery.
This Pub serves 1 changing beer and 2 regular beers.
Engineer, London
Source: National
Sports TV
Lunchtime Meals
Evening Meals
Garden
Family Friendly
Disabled Access
Dog Friendly
Function Room
Games
Restaurant
Smoking
Wi Fi
Real Ale
Real Heritage Pub
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