This former Courage pub is situated on East Street adjacent to the popular market. It retains a bar and saloon and many original features from the interwar period. Ral ale has been discontinued and handpumps have been removed.
One star - A pub interior of special national historic interest
Listed status: Not listed
A well-preserved multi-room pub from the inter-war period.
Rebuilt by Courage in the 1930s, this unpretentious pub has retained its three original rooms, although the connecting doors have gone. All three rooms have three-quarter-height fielded panelling, above which is "brewer's rustic" decor, consisting of black beams/batons on the ceilings and black beams on the walls (some vertical and some diagonal), interspersed with rough lathed plasterwork on the walls and ceilings. In the saloon bar (on the left) and the rear room, the beams have been painted white.
The bar-back in the central servery contains some inter-war mirrors and also illuminated panels (probably dating from the 1950s or 1960s) that read ‘Good Intent’ and have the image of a cockerel (the emblem of Courage) in them, although the illumination no longer works. The fielded panelling beneath the bar counter is inter-war. Also in the bar-back are original cupboards that once housed a dumb waiter. The large brick fireplace in the saloon bar is very probably original.
The Good Intent, serving the traders and customers of East Street market, is an important survivor in an area that has seen all its other pubs close down.
Rebuilt by Courage in the 1930s after they took over the pub from Day, Noakes & Sons. Three storey of brick with a ground floor of stone recently painted black it has a little altered interior of three rooms. The two front doors have ‘Public Bar’ (right) and ‘Saloon Bar’ (left) brass plates on them and there is no signs of an off sales. The saloon bar on the left has original fielded panelling to half height recently painted a deep blue and above "brewer's rustic" decor, consisting of black beams/batons on the ceilings and black beams on the walls (some vertical and some diagonal), interspersed with rough lathed plasterwork on the walls and ceilings. Recently the “brewer’s rustic” (which may be 1960s work as it looks like ‘Artex’) has been painted white. The bar counter is original with a fielded panelled front recently painted a deep blue with a dark red melamine (?) inlaid top. The modest sized bar back is of an island style with inter-war leaded mirrors, two 1960s opaque plastic illuminated – one with the wording ‘Good Intent’ and the other has a cockerel symbol – but the lower shelving has been lost to a fridge. The brick fireplace looks more 1960s than 1930s. The baffle by the door could be a 1930s one.
Through a widish doorway is the lounge bar at the rear with more original fielded panelling to half height recently painted a deep blue and above "brewer's rustic" décor as saloon bar and recently painted white. There is an original curved bar counter with a fielded panelled front recently painted a deep blue. The brick fireplace might be a 1930s one.
The Public Bar on the front right can be accessed via a doorway from the saloon bar which looks original i.e it has lost its door. This also retains an original curved bar counter with a fielded panelled front and a dark red melamine (?) inlaid top. There is a 1930s tiled fireplace painted black with a wood burner in front. The original fielded panelling to half height and above and on the ceiling the black beams/batons (some vertical and some diagonal), interspersed with rough lathed plasterwork have not been painted here. The bar back is as previously described – there is a Tudor arch doorway for staff between the bars, the right hand section has fielded panelling not mirrors, here the lower shelves are intact and there's a dumb waiter. The boxed-in fixed seating is assumed modern in both bars and are the metallic pot shelves. The toilet doors have ’Ladies’ and ‘Gents’ wording in gold with shadow lettering that looks 30s work – toilets are modernised.
Good Intent, Walworth