Street corner pub dating from 1871, which retains a local drinking character despite the addition of a well-regarded gastropub area into part of the original garden – still one of the best pub gardens in West London. The ever-present Timothy Taylors Landlord is joined by St Austell Tribute. The pub exterior regularly appeared in a 1980s sitcom, and familiar faces from current TV can often now be seen.
From 'Acton's Pubs and Inns (1989) :
"At the Acton Green end of Acton Lane, the lane takes a sharp right turn and then a left turn round an old field boundary. On the corner of this last turn stands the Swan. Acton Lane is an ancient way and there was a cluster of cottages here in early days. The pub is however first recorded in 1871 when the publican was James Brown who owned the house when it passed to the Phoenix Brewery, Latimer Road. The area around that part of Acton Lane was built up rapidly during that period. The pub passed to the Law Guarantee Trust and in 1909 to Charringtons.
It survived the rebuilding in the area, was renovated and added to ; although the original house can still be seen. It still retains its original garden and some of the trees."
It is rumoured that the pub survived demolition in the 1970s as part of the building of the Beaconsfield Road Council Estate next door because the then Leader of the Council was a regular there.
One star - A pub interior of special national historic interest
Listed status: Not listed
This is a late Victorian ex-Charrington's pub with a mainly inter-war interior featuring attractive bar counters and fielded wall panelling.
There's a large flat roofed extension at the front with two bow windows and a smaller extension at the rear faced with brown (lower) and green (upper) glazed tiling with leaded windows and stippled glass proclaiming “Toby Ale”, “Wines” and “Toby Stout”.
You enter into the main front bar, which has an inter-war bar counter with fielded panelling on the front, but the pot shelf and bar-back are modern additions. An opening on the right leads to a separate room at the back now used as a dining area which has a bar counter similar to the one in the front bar (but with smaller panels) also with a modern pot shelf and bar-back. The ceilings in both bars have red painted wallpaper on them with narrow wood beams. This back room also has fielded panelling to three-quarter height on the walls. An attractive 1930’s style brick fireplace is on the left-hand side, to the right of which is a part glazed wall/partition with similar fielded panelling. Behind this partition is a small passage leading to another small dining area with no old fittings; the fielded panelling in the passage and dining area matches that in the rear bar, but is modern work.
Ex-Charrington’s two-storey pub of late Victorian London brick with a single-storey part rendered, flat roofed extension at the front (large) with two bowed windows and a smaller one to the rear. The rear extension is faced with brown (lower) and green (upper) glazed tiling (brick?) with leaded windows and stippled glass proclaiming “Toby Ale”, “Wines” and “Toby Stout”. There are two small doors on the Evershed Walk side (old photo from 1942 showed four doors in two pairs on this side). There are no signs of any former off-sales.
Entrance through the first door into the front bar with a small wood panelled counter with a pot shelf suspended from a dropped ceiling projection above the bar counter. The bar counter looks to be possible interwar but the pot shelf and bar back look to be of more modern construction.
A wide opening on the right leads to a room at the rear, again with a bar counter similar to the front one (but subtly different in many respects) also with a modern pot shelf and suspended ceiling projection. There is plenty of fielded panelling to three quarter height and a 1930’s style brick fireplace on the left-hand side surrounded by the same fielded panelling. To the right of the fireplace there is a part glazed wall/partition with similar fielded panelling which backs onto a passage to another room to the left which seems to have been brought into use as a dining room in recent times (dates unknown). Again, this room has similar fielded panelling but looks to be more modern as does the panelling in the passage.
In the rear bar there is cushioned fixed bench seating along the right-hand wall to the rear and a collection of 1930s style chairs and stools. Bare floor boards in both rooms and the ceiling in both bars is red painted wallpaper with narrow transverse wood beams. Opens at 5 Mon to Fri.
This Pub serves no changing beers and 3 regular beers.
Swan, Acton Green