Six Bells, Acton

This corner pub is very popular with Irish drinkers and retains a lot from an inter-war refit.

Late Victorian pub built by Isleworth Brewery Ltd. (see ‘IBL’ monogram on first floor on Crown Street side) in 1887. Then in the inter-war period a building was erected to the left and the pub acquired part of the ground floor to double the floor area. You need to carefully inspect the ground floor exterior to see the difference – the frontage looks the same but the row of small windows along the top of the exterior window are slightly different – those on the original building have rounded corner panel on the far left and right but on the more modern part they do not.

After the inter-war refit, the pub looks to have had a three-room (with possibly an off-sales?) layout. The present layout is three rooms (maybe minus the off sales). There is a wide arch between the right hand room and front left room and a narrow arch-shaped opening between the front left room and rear left room.

On the left are two inter-war counters and two decent quality bar backs – the one in the front section has a glazed display case which is not often seen – but there are some modern changes such as a fridge replacing some lower shelving. On the right is a bar back where the lower part is old, presumed inter-war, but the top section is modern and the bar counter is wholly modern. There is an inter-war fireplace in the rear left room (but a loss of other fireplaces). The vestibule on the right hand side is modern.