Address: 30 West Street, Harrow, HA1 3EF
Opening Hours: Sun-Thurs
(12pm-11pm), Fri-Sat (12pm-12am)
Tel: 0208 8422 3155
Situated on a residential street
near Harrow School is an imposing looking pub, built at the beginning of the
Edwardian era in 1901. A Fullers pub since its inception, many of its
original features still remain, including its distinctive curved shaped bar
with wood panelling and surrounding bar rail, which rather intriguingly the area is separated
in two by a glazed timbre screen with a low hanging door, this partitions the
bar into two areas, namely the saloon bar and the public bar, which was a once
common feature in most pubs at the time when the pub was built, but over time
has increasingly become rare as ever-frequently succesive owners have demolished their
partitions in return for extra space. Moreover, the pub still features two entrances
to both respective areas which helps with the footfall during busier times, and
boasts two sets of handpulls which are both in continuous service. Over at the
rear side of the bar is the former billiards room which has repurposed as a dining
area, meanwhile behind the bar there are two intriguing looking rooms, the snug
room fulfils its purpose as a private drinking area even down to its serving
hatch, although the latter is now boarded with glass and the original furniture
has long since been removed. Adjacent to the snug, is the former severery which
has now been repurposed as a secondary indoor dining area, notably it boasts a
large number on antique clocks on its walls, leading it to be amusingly dubbed,
The Clock Room.
With enough original features present,
it is easy to see why the pub is Grade II listed and has been awarded a three-star
status by CAMRA’s Pub Heritage Group. However,
I think the latter award is too generous as parts of the original architecture
have renovated, namely the snug and billiards room as some of the original furniture has been removed or the occasional architectual feature has been altered, quite deservingly it really
shouldn’t get more than 2 stars for its endeavours. Moreover, as you leave the entrance to the
public bar, one enters an impressive length of stairs that leads into the
raised pub garden. A relatively recent addition to the pub, it seemingly looks
out of place with its imposing structure of wooden gazebos and dining tables, which
gives the area a continental feel during the summer months. Interestingly, at
the back of the garden there is the former pub sign, featuring a decorously detailed
piece of art work that features a knight returning back to a castle, alas its
owners Fullers have since replaced the pub sign with a bland motif featuring the
outline of a castle. Now, I’m all for pub gardens yet the raised area makes it inaccessible
for wheelchair users which would surely put some people off from coming here.
Rather typical for a Fullers pub, on cask it features a number of their beers including classics like London Pride (4.1%) and ESB (5.5%), also included is Hophead (3.8%) by their subsidiary Dark Star Brewing Co., which Fullers took over in 2018, a few years later current owners Asahi closed down their Partridge Green brewery and relocated operations to Fullers main brewery site in Chiswick, so now all three beers available in cask are made ‘in house’. There is also supposed to be a guest beer, which was notably absent on my visit, along with a wide and intriguing selection of keg beers/ lagers and a small range of bottled beers in the fridge that featured a number of Fuller’s products, which were a bit in short supply in this instance. I ultimately went for a pint of ESB, which at £5.95 was the priciest pint I have yet sampled in a Fuller’s pub, this is clear living proof of the adverse effects of inflation and the ever increasing rates are having on the average price of a pint, which I have seen increase by nearly £2 since I began my drinking odyssey during the tail end of the Noughties. Thankfully for such an expensive pint it was rather quaffable and flavoursome, its distinct butterscotch flavours suitably laced with a subtle background of bitterness and maltiness; although I prefer the bottled version which is stronger and has more character, although for a cask pint this was quite decent.
Rather typical for a pub nowadays, this pub features extensive dining facilities both indoors and outdoors, which boasts traditional English pub fare with a modern ‘gastro’ twist. One may frown at the reduction of drinking facilities, but this is the one of the principal means of income for the pub, and without this service it would struggle to survive. However, unlike those country pubs that have been repurposed as gastro hellholes, you are not greeted by host who asks for your table number and there’s none of that snobbish sense of exclusivity. It still largely feels like a homely neighbourhood bar where you are met with a friendly atmosphere and a comfortable environment, which is embellished with its impressive array of brick-a-back from embossed mirrors, cricket bats, framed photos, hats, wall-mounted deer heads and antique clocks that adds to the overall ambiance. It is easy to see why it was voted Pub of the Year by the local CAMRA Harrow branch in 2014 and 2016 respectively, because it delivers its purpose as a good service to its locals. From an architectural angle, this is certainly one of the more interesting pubs I have yet visited during my travels, so if you’re a fan of historic pub interiors, then this place is a must-visit on your bucket list, if you happen to be passing by.
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