As a follow up to my earlier piece on London pubs with names linking to the railways, whether its a common name like the Railway Tavern, linked to a well-known individual from the industry or an iconic locomotive, I have produced an interactive map that lists all the locations within London.
Within my immediate locality of
Mill Hill/ Edgware there are several pubs with a connection to the railways, in
Edgware there was the Railway Hotel opened in 1931, yards away from the original
Edgware Station, terminus of the GNR branch line from Finsbury Park, alas both
the railway station and pub have long been consigned to history. Over towards
Mill Hill there’s the Bridge Tavern situated near the M1 flyover and railway bridge that carries the
Midland mainline and Mill Hill Broadway station. Further up Hale Lane is the
Railway Tavern, which was constructed in 1867 to cater for railway navies
working on the nearby railway line that was under construction at the time.
These gabble of pubs represent a microcosm of the slew of public houses
situated near train (and underground) stations around London named in tribute
to the railways that branch around London.
The most common names that crop up are the The Railway (8 pubs), The Railway Tavern (7 pubs), The Railway Bell (4 pubs) and The Rocket (3 pubs). While most towns generally have one railway themed pub, some areas have bucked the trend like Gispy Hill, Battersea and New Barnet respectively. Railway themed pubs are usually situated nearby railway stations, although some have been constructed within the station complexes themselves like the Doric Arch (Euston), The Betjeman Arms (St. Pancras Int) or The Sir John Hawkshaw (Cannon Street). Some have pubs have repurposed former railway architecture, like The Parcel Yard at King’s Cross station which was built within the former parcel sorting offices, likewise The Station House in Acton is located within the former booking offices at Acton Central station, and Tap on the Line in Kew is situated within the former station buffet at Kew Gardens station. Various pubs have taken inspiration from railway architecture, like The Crossing in Barnes located near the rail crossing that straddles White Hart Lane, The Junction in Upminster derives from the multitude of rail routes that branch off from the local station, The Signal Box in Euston is located near the major rail termini, while in Forest Hill and Thornton Heath respectively there are pubs called the Railway Telegraph named in reference to the telegraph lines that once straddled the railway lines. Meanwhile there are more obscure instances that take inspiration from railway slang, like The Iron Horse in Sidcup, a micropub situated opposite the station that pays tribute to the pervasive terminology coined for steam locomotives, while The Surbiton Flyer in Surbiton located just outside the station is seemingly inspired by the express locomotives that used to speed through the station towards Surrey and beyond, its name has a double purpose as it also draws reference from the nickname coined for professional cyclist and local residence John Keen.
Moreover, some pubs are named
after railway stations like The Catford Bridge Tavern in Catford, near Catford
Bridge station; and The Junction in Battersea which is located close to the entrance
of Clapham Junction station. A few yards up Lavender Hill is another railway themed pub The London and South Western, its name derives from the L&SWR (London
and South-Western), a railway company which existed between 1838 - 1922 that
managed routes from London to places like Southampton, Dorchester, Weymouth, Exeter
and formerly Padstow, its extant lines still go through Clapham Junction. There
are other instances of pubs being named local railway lines like The Great Southern
in Gipsy Hill, the station of its namesake is currently run by Southern, while
north of the river The North London in Kilburn is situated near Brondesbury
Station on the north London line, likewise The Great Northern Railway Tavern in
Hornsey is located near the station that is owned by Great Northern. Back in the
steam age, a great number of locomotives were given nameplates, some have been
reflected in pubs like The North Star in Ealing, named after Robert Stephenson’s
broad gauge GWR locomotive built in 1836 that once straddled the routes between
Paddington to Bristol. A more recent example is The Kentish Belle in Bexley named
a locomotive that formerly ran on the nearby mainline from London towards
Faversham and Canterbury East between 1948 to 1959. The Rocket is currently the
most common example among locomotive names for pubs in London, another Stephenson locomotive it notably
ran that first steam hauled passenger service between Liverpool to Manchester
in 1830, and its design provided the template for steam locomotives going
forward. A number of notable luminaries from the railway industry have also been namechecked
in pubs, like The Brunel in Rotherhithe named after civil engineers Marc and
Isambard Kingdom Brunel who developed the Thames Tunnel, markedly the first
underground commuter tunnel built under the Thames, completed in 1843. Another example The Sir John Hawkshaw in Tower Hill, references the civil engineer who was intially responsible for navigating
routes and branch lines in Lancashire and Manchester, before moving to London in
1850 where he developed L&SER routes from Charing Cross and Cannon Street, the
East London line and the District Line that runs through Tower Hill station. The
Charles Holden in Colliers Wood namechecks another designer of note, architect Charles
Holden who designed a number of underground stations during the 1920’s and 1930’s
noted for their distinct art-deco appearance, including Colliers Wood. Another railway
pub that pays tribute to its heritage is The Lord Aberconway in Liverpool
Street, named after Liberal MP Charles McLaren – Lord Aberconway, who was the
chairman of the Metropolitan Railway between 1904 – 1933, which happens to run
through this station. St Pancras is likewise another major rail termini that has a railway
themed pub, The Betjeman Arms, named after poet laureate John Betjeman who successfully
campaigned to save the gothic mid-Victorian station building designed by George
Gilbert-Scott from destruction in the 1960’s. Overall its quite understandable for
a city with such an extensive and integrated rail network to have a sizeable
number of railway themed pubs that pay tribute to its rich railway heritage,
from namechecking rail routes, referencing architectural features, notable luminaries, iconic steam locomotives, to common names like
The Railway Tavern or The Rocket for instance, London has it all.
The area of New Barnet is one of
many commuter towns built in London during the rapid expansion of the railway
network in the mid-19th century. The area was originally part of the
Lyonsdown Estate, when the GNR (Great Northern Railway) approached them with
intention of buying some fields to lay their railway line through the area,
they were forced to buy up the whole estate. They subsequently sold it to the
British Land Company shortly after the opening of Barnet Station in 1850. The
station was meant to serve the town of Chipping Barnet, however it was over 1½
miles. The developers were buoyed in constructing roads (initially Lyonsdown
Road and Station Road) and subsequently residential side streets and housing.
This became an attractive investment from homeowners hoping to escape from the city,
and by the late 19th century, the area became one of the most densely
populated parts of East Barnet. In order to cash in on this new population boom,
a number of pubs were constructed to serve the local population, a number survive
to this day, including The Railway Tavern, The Railway Bell, The Builders Arms,
and The Lord Kitchener. When the station was built, a goods yard was also constructed.
In order to cater for the railway workers, two pubs were built either-side of
the rail bridge. Unusually both pubs have Railway in the title which in unique
in itself, they embody the rapid development of ‘railway’ pubs during this
period, where across the country breweries with sizeable estates sought to capitalise
on the railway boom by building their pubs near stations. While most towns
generally have one pub near a station, New Barnet has two. This is a result of
the intense competition of large breweries Charrington’s and Thomas Clutterbuck
& Co. who acquired lucrative plots of land located near the station, establishing
within the space of a decade following the opening of the station. Rather surprisingly
both pubs continue to operate till this day, so I decided to visit both pubs
and check out this curious phenomenon.
THE RAILWAY TAVERN
Located on the eastern side of the
railway bridge on 3 East Barnet Road, it was constructed in 1862. It was formerly
a Charrington pub, at one time the brewers were one of the largest in London
with a sizeable estate across London and the home counties. The pub has since
passed through a series of owners and is currently a Wells & Co pub. A compact-corner
pub, it was built after the side roads were constructed, the exterior is a
simple two-storey asymmetrical arrangement with a row of identical sash windows
on the top floor separated by pilasters, and two bay windows on the ground floor
with lattice adornments and some stained-glass features. The hanging sign has a
picture of steam locomotive, in keeping with its railway links. The exterior is
largely unchanged since Victorian times, though the entrances into the former
public bar area have since been bricked over. The interior retains many of its
original Victorian features, centred around a bar replete in dark oak with fielding
panelling and distinct sloping corners, surrounded by stools. Some of the
original stone tiling is present near the bar, interspersed with more contemporary
slatted wooden flooring. The long bar counter is a throwback to its days when
the pub was divided into multiple serving areas, the north face of the bar
still has its original gantry that looms over the pump clips. The fireplace adjacent
to the bar is also an original feature. The abundance of seating in this
section of the pub, implies it would have served the saloon bar, while towards
the public bar was located towards the rear, the lack of seating and tables in
this area is a throwback to this. The walls are combination of fielded panelling
below window height and plain walls painted in Salmon and Cream. Going towards
the rear of the bar, the walls are replete in fielded panelling which suggests
a later 20th century addition. While there is table seating towards
the entrance, most of the seating around bar consists of stalls and high back
chair set against oak beer barrels repurposed as tables. This is broken up by
charming looking snug adjacent to the bar, yet most of the dining seat is
located at the rear of the building. A room at the back is a more recent addition,
built to accommodate extra dining seating and functions. There is also an extensive
beer garden, though part of it has sheltered seating near the rear entrance. The
pub is in very essence a sport bar, with sports themed paraphernalia covering
nearly every inch of the vicinity from football team flags on the ceiling to
walls replete with signed shirts, framed photos of various rugby, football,
horse racing and golf clubs, with some fascinating curious in between including
a Guinness sign featuring a Toucan balancing two pints on its beak while holding
a football, an illustrated tribute to the iconic managers and players of
Tottenham Hotspur and a photo of the pub’s sponsored golf team based in west
Ireland. The Irish theme is predominant in this pub from its heavy use of
Guinness merchandise, flags and its collection of Irish sporting memorabilia. While
the menu boasts a selection of traditional pub fare from a wide range of
sandwiches, jacket potatoes, roasts, salads and contemporary flourishes like serving
platters. The are two bars at adjacent sides of the counter, with north featuring
three handpumps for cask ale, though only two were available on my visit. In essence
despite it being a traditional sports bar, the pub exudes a cosy and homely,
community atmosphere and on a quiet afternoon it is a great place to hide away
from the bustling streets.
THE RAILWAY BELL
Located the other side of the rail
bridge at No. 13 East Barnet Road, the pub was built shortly after the
construction of the nearby station as was originally commissioned by Thomas Clutterbuck
& Co, a Stanmore based brewery that owned a vast number of pubs around
Middlesex and Hertfordshire around this time. In 1990 it was acquired by JD
Wetherspoons, which at the time was a rather unusual acquisition by the pub
chain who normally used to buying out former commercial shop premisses. In the
summer of 2013, over a two-month period the pub was extensively renovated, at
the cost of £1million with a large conservatory added at the rear to cater for
dining, an open plan kitchen, an expanded garden with decking and new
furniture, split into smoking and non-smoking areas respectively. This led to
the removal of the car-park to facilitate the extension of a larger garden
area. The exterior maintains much of its original Victorian features, featuring
an asymmetrical set of lattice bay windows, interspersed with a double pair of
doors which would have led into the saloon and public bars originally, with a pair
of brass Victorian lanterns hanging above each door. The upper floors continue
the asymmetrical setup with rows of sash windows, while the hanging sign features
a cut out of locomotive bell. There is an extension to the left side, while on
the right side there is a covered gated entrance leading to the pub garden, which
in times gone by once housed a barn. The interior is split into three identifiable
sections, the former public bar is now devoted to rows of dining tables
arranged to resemble an airport bar. On the adjacent side, the saloon area has over
a dozen sets of high chairs and tables, interspersed with the odd slot machine
or two. This section of the pub is clearly devoted to drinkers, though dining
options are available across all tables. Tartan floor designs give this section
a homely appearance, whilst the modern light fittings feel rather out of place.
In keeping with its railway links there are numerous paintings and photos of steam
locomotives on the wall, while a more recent addition features a picture of a locomotive
that displays a detailed step by step guide to the brewing process represented
by different platforms. There is little trace of the pub’s original features at
any point in the interior, even the bar has been covered up with modern matchboard
panelling that wouldn’t look out of place in a sauna. A brass rail surrounds a
polished countertop, while pillars are interspersed along various points along
the counter, supporting a gantry that features sets of circles that evoke the
wheel lineup of a steam locomotive, which I found to be a neat touch to its
railway links. Towards the rear of the bar is the expansive conservatory with scores
of dining tables devoted to restaurant service, although the addition of this
added seating area doubled the pub’s turnovers, it somewhat takes away from the
traditional pub like feel that the place once had. Unlike the pub down the road,
this pub was heaving with customers, with virtually every table and stool taken
up, most of the tables were occupied by families who were out for lunch, which is
understandable given that Wetherspoons is generally a family orientated
enterprise. The pub’s devotion to real ale makes up for its shortcomings, featuring
an impressive number of cask ales, up to 10 at the time of counting which surely
must be a record for the Barnet area. Indeed, a few years ago back in 2022 the
pub appeared in the CAMRA beer guide. While three of the ales were Spoons
regulars, the other 7 were from various London microbreweries as on the day of
my visit the pub was hosting a London themed beer festival. Since it was only a
flying visit, I only had time to sample two halves, I sampled some Biscuit
Town Porter (5%) – Southwark Brewing, and Wit’s End (4.7%) –
Sambrook’s, both equally scrummy beers bursting with flavour and quality,
highlighting the very best qualities of their respective beer styles.
Hollywood is well known for its
slew of mansions once owned by stars of the silver screen, could the same be
insinuated with London’s flock of pubs once regularly populated by notable
luminaries. Although most of these pubs tend to be concentrated around central
London, particularly near the West End theatres, there are some instances of
pubs in the outskirts that have hosted various notables from different walks of
life over the years. Some individuals like Dylan Thomas, Samuel Peyps, George
Orwell, Peter O’Toole and Charles Dickens even have connections with a number
of pubs in London; these pubs must surely be as noteworthy as any Hollywood
mansion?
The Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese in
Fleet Street has often been dubbed the literary pub, attracting the likes of Oscar
Wilde, W.B. Yeats, Mark Twain, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Alfred Tennyson, George
Orwell, P.G. Woodhouse, Ezra Pound, G.K. Chesterton and Dr. Samuel Johnson.
Dickens praised the place as having “a good plain meal with good wine,” while
Wodehouse preferred it over private members clubs since it had a better
clientele. The pub was also location for the Rhymers Club, a group of
London-based poets, founded in 1890 by W. B. Yeats and Ernest Rhys. Other
noteworthy customers included Princess Margaret, Voltaire and Winston
Churchill.Over 40 years later, the Lamb in Bloomsbury was a popular haunt for
the Bloomsbury Group, while in earlier times Dickens was said to frequent the
place when he lived in nearby Doughty Street. Ted Hughes was also a regular,
and during the early stages of their relationship, he met with Sylvia Plath on
several occasions. Another pub with literary connections is The Fitzroy Tavern in
Fitzrovia, which was a regular haunt for including Dylan Thomas, Augustus John,
Michael Bentine, Virginia Woolf, George Bernard Shaw and Jacob Epstein. Thomas
would often write poems on the back of beermats and hand them to lady
customers, a prominent alcoholic this place was among a vast number of pubs he
regularly visited in London, that included The George where he mingled with his
BBC colleagues, The Wheatsheaf which also was a haunt for his contemporary
George Orwell and The French House in Soho where he once left the manuscript
for Under Milk Wood, it was also frequented by the likes of Francis Bacon,
David Bowie and Lucien Freud. During WW2 it was the unofficial headquarters of
the Free French; Charles de Gaulle regularly drank here and within this
building wrote his iconic speech rallying the French to action. Another Soho
pub of note is The Coach & Horses, it was popular with artists like Bacon
and Freud, while Frank Auerbach often accompanied writer Bruce Bernard to
discuss about painting. On the entertainment front, Peter Cooke and Willie
Rushton regularly ‘lunched’ here, Private Eye held their fortnightly meetings
in the Chill Room upstairs and Peter O’ Toole was often seen in his later
years. Their most notable customer was his friend and Spectator columnist
Jeffrey Bernard who often resided here most of the day, so much so the place
was dubbed ‘Jeff’s Office’. And, whenever the office needed his copy, they
would directly ring the pub, since he was often there between visits to the
Spectator’s offices.
Likewise, Richard Harris had a
regular pub, The Coal Hole in the Strand during the years when he resided at
the Savoy, he often sat in a chair behind the slot machines to avoid attention
from the public and once remarked “I turned Hamlet down because it was going to
take up too much of my drinking time.” A century earlier, this place was also a
refuge for W.S. Gilbert (of Gilbert & Sullivan fame) who would often come
here during opening nights to seek some Dutch courage after building himself up
into a state of nervousness. Around the West End, there are a number of pubs
that were popular with thespians, the most notable was The Salisbury, among it
illustrious cast list included Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Peter O’Toole,
Richard Harris, Oliver Reed, Terrance Stamp, Albert Finney, Robert Shaw,
Kenneth Griffith, Sean Connery, Michael Caine and Marianne Faithfull to name a
few. Its back alleyway linked onto a number of theatres, useful for quite a
number of actors who had to rush off quicky for their curtain calls. Johnny
Briggs (Mike Baldwin in Coronation Street) noted in his autobiography that he
used to visit the pub with his actor friends Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Peter
O’Toole and Richard Harris. He mentions several notable instances, such as when
O’ Toole turned up in his costume after returning from filming for ‘Lawrance of
Arabia’ (1962) where he yelled “I’m home for the desert dears!”, Briggs
retorted “never mind the desert, have you got your bloody handbag so you can
buy the beers?” On another occasion he recalled Burton berating Elizabeth
Taylor for trying to order a Martini, when the pub had a strict policy on only
serving beer, booming “look, woman, you’ll have a bloody pint or a bloody
half-pint, so whaddya want?” Whenever the pub opened Harris was always first at
the door, and often visited between curtain calls at nearby theatres. Such was
his admiration for the place, following a successful run in ‘Henry IV’ at the
Wyndham Theatre in 1990, Harris organised a celebratory party at the pub.
Going towards the outskirts of
London, there are a slew of pubs popular with luminaries. Hampstead boasts a
few worthy examples. The Holly Bush for instance was once popular with the
likes of Dr. Samuel Johnson, who was often accompanied by his biographer and
drinking buddy James Boswell. In more recent times actor Jude Law is reported
to be a regular, as well as brother Noel and Liam Gallager (of Oasis) have
drank here. The latter was thrown out of the pub one evening after arguing with
the landlord over whether or not he paid his drinks. On the outskirts of the
Heath, the Magdala Tavern has welcomed a host of luminaries over the years,
thanks to info uncovered by Neil Titley in his book ‘Under Ken Wood’. During
the early years of his career, Bob Hoskins regularly drank here while renting a
room in nearby Parliament Hill, during the period when he worked at the Unity
Theatre in Camden. Likewise, Peter Barkworth who lived in Flask Walk, regularly
visited the pub. Richard Wymark was also a regular, his wife Olwyn always felt
odd accompanying him, since she knew that he slept with every woman in the pub.
His contemporary Peter Witsun-Jones also frequented the establishment, even
after his death in 1974 his widow Sylvia continued to regularly visit the pub.
Ronald Fraser, another local resident was a frequent visitor to Hampstead’s
many watering holes, could be seen at The Mags (as it was nicknamed) during his
regular pub crawls. Such was it connection to the acting industry, during
pre-production on ‘Where Eagles Dare’ (1968) the casting director walked into
the pub one evening and managed to recruit several actors for the production,
Richard Burton, Patrick Wymark, William Squire, Peter Barkworth, and Derren
Nesbit, who all happened to be in the pub that very evening, the film has been
erroneously dubbed the Magdala film.[1]
On the other side of the Heath, the Spaniards Inn has boasted a number of
notable regulars, including highwayman Dick Turpin, the poet John Keats who lived
at nearby Wentworth Place wrote his poem ‘An Ode to a Nightingale’ in the pub
garden, his friend and fellow poet Lord Byron also frequented this
establishment when journeying to and from London, often accompanied by his
friends including Mary Shelley. Robert Louis Stephenson frequently visited and
sometimes lodged here, as well as the artists William Hogarth, Joshua Reynolds
and John Constable, whom subsequently featured the pub in his painting ‘Road to
the Spaniards, Hampstead’ (1822) which shows view across Hampstead Heath along
Spaniard Road. It was also visited by Bram Stoker, who mentions it in his
seminal novel ‘Dracula’. The Flask in neighbouring Highgate was also popular
with Keats and Byron, who often dropped by whilst visiting their friend Samuel
Colleridge Taylor who resided in the house opposite. Hogarth often visited
here, and once sketched a fight between two other customers as they fought with
tankards. In more recent times, it was popular with the likes of local
residents Karl Marx, Sid Vicious and George Michael.
While the Magdala has close links
with the acting industry, the same could be said for The Hawley Arms in Camden
with its links to the music industry. Formerly a bikers pub, in 2002 it was
taken over by Ruth Mottram and Doug Charles-Ridler, who transformed the pub’s
fortunes by installing a jukebox, organising their shows and establishing an
upstairs bar and roof terrace. Word soon spread and it gradually became popular
with the luminaries of the music industry at the time, among its regulars
included members of the bands Razorlight, the Arctic Monkeys and Kaiser Chiefs.
Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt from the Mighty Boosh also frequently visited,
often taking part in after hours pub quizzes. Its most noteworthy regular was
Amy Winehouse who lived in nearby Prowse Place, on some occasions she even
helped out behind the bar, in order to soak in the atmosphere. Tim Burgess from
the Charlatans described the place as being a cross between Camberwick Green
and Stella Street. The Pineapple in Kentish Town also has an impressive roll
call of customers over the years including Rufus Sewell, Jon Snow, Roger
Lloyd-Pack, Ken Stott, Andrew Motion and former London mayor Ken Livingstone,
when the pub was threatened with redevelopment in 2001, they supported the Save
the Magdala campaign to reopen it as pub. In more recent times, our current PM Keir
Starmer once quoted this place was his favourite place to drink since they do a
very good pint, proving that pubs continue to be poplar even with our heads of
government. Moreover, the Prospect of Whitby is another iconic local pub with a
long list of famous customers, including Charles Dickens, Samuel Peyps, the
artists JMW Turner and James McNeil Whistler who both painted views of the pub,
and the explorer Sir Hugh Willoughby, who sailed from here in 1553 to seek the
North-East Passage which ended in failure and death. A century later, Judge
Jeffries often came here to watch executions over on nearby Execution Dock.
More recently the likes of Judy Garland, Paul Newman, Princess Margaret,
Richard Burton, Prince Rainier of Monaco and Frank Sinatra have been served
here. Further along the Thames, the Dove in Hammersmith is noted for having the
record for the smallest bar in the country (at 7 feet long), it also boasts a
list of notables, including Grahame Greene, Alec Guinness, Ernest Hemmingway
and William Morris who happened to live next door. Charles II reportedly wined
and dined his mistress Nell Gwynne here, and James Thompson is said to have
written the words for his poem ‘Rule Britannia’ here in 1740, later adapted to
music by Thomas Arne. A later regular was Dylan Thomas, during the period when
he lived in a flat in Manresa Road in nearby Chelsea. A nearer pub that Thomas
frequented was The Phene, it was also popular with the likes of Michael
Angelis, Nicholas Ball, Bill Rouke and ex-footballer George Best, whom would
frequently order a white wine (his favourite tipple), such was his attachment
to the place he even proposed to his 2nd wife here in 1995, and
during a theatre tour, his close-friend and former Fulham associate Rodney
Marsh who was often pick up Best from the pub before driving off to do a show.
There are some pubs in London
that only have one famous customer of note, when Dylan Thomas lived on Milkwood
Road, Herne Hill, he would often visit his local The Half Moon, especially on
match days when he visited the London Velodrome to watch his rugby team London
Welsh play. After each game, he could be seen joining the team’s players at the
bar, engaging in conversation. Eight miles west in Wimbledon, the Dog & Fox
situated by the common was often visited by local resident Oliver Reed. On one
notable occasion he travelled to the pub on his horse Dougal. After seeing him
looking forlorn in the stables, he went to the estate agents next door and
offered to by a field for his horse, he subsequently brought Broom Hall where
he lived for much of the 70’s. Moreover, he would often choose this place as
the first stop on his infamous pub crawl known as ‘The Wimbledon 8’ which
involved visiting all of the common’s eight existing pubs at the time.[2]
The idea was to have a pint in each pub, which each site being within 15
minutes’ walk from one to another, although the most he ever managed was three.
Meanwhile, when George Orwell was living in Canonbury between 1944-7, he often
visited the Compton Arms, a cosy backstreet local. It’s charm and atmosphere
clearly influenced Orwell to write his iconic 1946 essay ‘The Moon Under Water’
where he describes his ideal pub. Another writer of note who had his own ‘ideal
pub’ was Barry Cryer. A comedian and prolific comedy writer working with the
likes of Kenny Everett, The Two Ronnies, Bob Hope, Spike Milligan, Richard
Pryor, Tommy Cooper, Jasper Carrott, George Burns, Stanley Baxter etc. When he
lived in Hatch End, his favourite watering hole was The Moon & Sixpence, a
branch of Wetherspoons which he visited since 2009. Cryer would often visit
every weekend with his friends, he frequently signed photos and autographs for
other customers, told jokes and stories from his illustrious career and in time
got to know every regular in the pub, including the staff.[3]
Despite having visited exclusive clubs like the Garrick over the years, he once
quoted “I’ve been in to all these clubs because everyone assumes I’m a member.
I much prefer my local Wetherspoons, The Moon and Sixpence in Hatch End. I’m
the thinking woman’s lager lout.” Cryer passed away in January 2022, and later
that year his widow Theresa unveiled a memorial mural at an event held at the
pub, a permanent tribute highlighting Cryer’s life in words and photographs.
All over London there are a slew
of pubs that were once popular with the great and the good, from literary pubs
like Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese and Fitzroy Tavern to theatre-land hangouts like
The Salisbury or icons of the music industry like The Hawley Arms. On the
outskirts of town, there’s a number of pubs with roll-call of famous customers,
Hampstead tops the list with pubs like The Spaniards Inn, The Holly Bush, The
Duke of Hamilton and The Magdala, while the likes of The Prospect of Whitby,
The Flask and The Phene are good challengers to its throne. There are some pubs
that boast one famous customer as one of their biggest claims to fame, The Dog
& Duck, The Half Moon and The Compton Arms are all noteworthy historic
examples. In more recent times, The Moon & Sixpence has been added to this
roster, even going to point of producing a tribute plaque to its most famous
regular.[4]
There a vast number of London Bus tours all over the centre town giving
tourists the opportunity to get guided view of London’s landmarks, perhaps
there should be one for London’s landmark pubs as well, that were formerly
frequented by a number of famous luminaries, time will tell.
[1]
Burton also frequented another Hampstead pub, The Duke of Hamilton, along with
actor friends Peter O’ Toole and Oliver Reed.
[2]
The pubs that featured in the Wimbledon 8, include the Dog & Fox, the Hand
in Hand, Crooked Billet, Fox and Grapes, Rose and Crown, Firestables, Brewery
Tap and Finch's. Only five are still in business today.
[3]
Such was his iconic status at this pub, he once opened a beer festival that
took place there. On another occasion, he turned on the town’s Christmas lights
outside the pub.
[4] At
the Wheatsheaf in Soho, there plaques near the entrance dedicated to both
George Orwell and Dylan Thomas who frequently drank here.
If you walk down the High Street in Edgware today, you’d be hard pressed for find any pubs, indeed the only ‘traditional’ pub operating in the town centre is The Three Wishes, which ironically is one of the newest, first opened in 1993 by Wetherspoons, it was orignally called The Blacking Bottle at the time, it has since gone through several owners before acquiring its present name in 2006, operating today as a free-house. Meanwhile two further pubs have been converted into bars/ restaurants, The Beehive has become Zanzi-Bar, an Indian restaurant/ bar; whilst The Mason’s Arms has turned into Luna Lounge (Clubul Romanesc), following the sale of the pub in 2012. Going out of town, towards the area that once housed the sleepy hamlet of Upper Hale, both The Jolly Badger (Green Man) and The Railway Tavern are still in business and continue to do good trade. Yet if you look around Edgware, you’ll also find a number of remnants of former pubs, which once populated the area. For instance, The Change of Hart lies vacant since it closed in 2020 as does the nearby Railway Hotel on Station Road, which has remained a derelict ruin since closing in 2006; going towards the outskirts of town there are former pubs that have been converted into other uses, The Edge of Town on Station Road has become a Polish supermarket since it closed in 2012, whilst The Sparrow on Broadfields Avenue also closed the same year and was later converted into a Barnardo’s and Tesco Express two years later. Incredibly, over a hundred years ago there were around twelve pubs operating in the area as of 1914; yet in the space of a century, due to the combination of local redevelopment projects, forced closures by PubCo’s or the selling of failing businesses, the number of pubs in this area has gradually dwindled. In order reach an understanding of what we have lost, we need to explore Edgware’s extensive pub heritage in detail.
The George
One of the oldest inns in the
area, it was built c.1454 for travellers journeying through Watling Street. Many
of the oak beams and pillars allegedly came from old ship’s timbers, and the oak
door leading to the saloon bar was carved by hand and reputed to date from the
11th century, it was also used a house of rest for soldiers during
the Wars of the Roses, Nell Gwynne reportedly once stayed here and highwayman Dick
Turpin used it as a haunt. By the 17th century, the surrounding high
street had expanded and become increasingly commercialised, where it featured a
blacksmiths, butchers, tailors, colliers, opticians and a weekly fayre held
every Thursday. Henry Hayley, who ran the inn during this time also operated a
brewery, and the site had expanded to include four buildings enclosing a
courtyard, a long barn stood facing a road, whilst to the back of the site
consisted of a pond, outhouses, brewhouses, and an orchard. During the 19th
century, the pub was rebuilt with a new brickwork structure, consisting of an
amalgamation of two storey buildings with gabled ends, separated by two bays, and
from 1834 onwards it was referred to as a public house, latterly the courtyard
was covered in the early 20th century and turned into a dance hall. The pub was
run during this period by Cannon Brewery who also owned three other pubs on the
high street namely The White Lion, The Boot and The Masons Arms, along with a
further two on the village outskirts, The Hall Arms in Church Lane and The
Green Man in Hale Lane respectively. In 1930, the brewery was taken over by
Taylor Walker, around this time road widening schemes on the High Street and Whitchurch
Lane were on the cards and the council planned to demolish the pub along with The
Masons Arms and the Chandos Arms respectively. News of its closure came as a
shock to local residents, with a reporter at the time stating “for many years,
it was the main place, we might saw the only place in Edgware for dinners,
dances, whist drives, meetings or other such functions.” [1]
The council offered the licensees the opportunity
to transfer of their licence to a new premises in Kingsbury, however the locals
were outraged by this decision and a petition signed by 670 people was organised,
opposing this transfer. They argued that The George was not merely a public house,
but an institution as many functions were held there, and there was nowhere
else to hold them. Ultimately their
efforts failed, and the pub closed early in 1931, the building was subsequently
demolished. The new George Inn was later built in Kingsbury, and continues to operate
to this day.
The Boot
Situated on the junction between the
High Street and Church Lane (Station Road), it was first recorded in 1753; the pub was
smaller than other public houses in the area, it was remarked that the bars
were extremely small, and the roof was so low that a person wearing a hat could
hardly stand upright, it also offered no accommodation for travellers. In an
article from Country Life Magazine from 1903, it is described as “a delightful
red brick building with a green trellis upon its front, and stands up upon the
right side of the street as you look towards St Albans.”[2] The pub was built near the Edgware lockup, a
cage used for confining prisoners prior to their court hearings. Run by Salter
& Co then Cannon Brewery, the pub also went by several names including The
Boot and Spur, The Jack Boot and The Black Boot. By 1913, three other pubs were
sited on the same side of the street. These included The Red Lion, The King’s
Arms and The Surrey Arms, the latter which opened the same year. All three pubs
were larger in size and were deemed to have better facilities and accommodation
than the Boot. The following year, the pub licence was reviewed by the local justices
who presented their case to the Middlesex Licencing Committee, as they were keen
to close the pub as there were too many pubs operating in the area at the time.
They argued “the house was 31 yards from fully-licensed house, 'The Red Lion,' the same side of the road, and about yards from a commodious, well-built, and
fairly new beer house called “The Surrey Arms.” also the same side of the
road. the oilier direction, 220 yards away, was The King’s Arms,” another
fully-licensed house. All of these three houses wore very superior
accommodation to The Boot.”[3]
The committee argued that at the side of
the house, there were two serving windows where customers were served drinks.
They stated this was undesirable, as this often led to obstruction of
traffic from the nearby road, coupled with the fact that the pub was relatively
small in size compared to its neighbouring public houses. Cecil Whitley, who
represented the owners of the pub in the hearing, stated it would be seriously
disputed that the accommodation was poor, it was also noted that the pub had a
sizeable amount of trade. The magistrate’s decision was overturned due to lack
of evidence, they appealed this decision the following year, and this was again
overturned, and the committee, upheld their decision to renew the pub’s
licence. For the next 50 years, the pub continued to trade, despite the road
widening schemes of the 1930’s which saw many of its nearby competitors bite
the dust. Unfortunately, by 1965, the game was up and the pub subsequently
closed; the building was soon demolished and a shopping parade was built in its
place. Fittingly in memory of its former occupant, it was named Boot Parade, a
poignant reminder to the past.
The Chandos Arms
The original incarnation of the Chandos
Arms was situated on the High Street. An inn had reportedly stood on this site
since the 11th century thus making it one of the oldest in the
country; around 1600 it was rebuilt in its final form as a coaching inn, it was
described by L. Salmon as “a beautiful old house with panelled passages,
crooked windows with small panes, and a huge lamp and swinging sign, painted
with the Chandos Arms, hanging out over the street upon a great crossway beam
and post of timber.” Formerly known as the Crane, allegedly it was once owned
by the Losse family (one time owners of the Cannons estate), and one of its
most notable architectural features was its marble fronted fireplace which was
donated from the estate when the mansion was demolished in 1747. During the
18th century, its notable regulars included the composer George Fredrich Handel
(who worked at nearby Cannons as resident composer between 1717-1719) whom frequently
visited the Tavern during this period; Dick Turpin frequented this establishment
residing in the back room where he could quickly escape through the courtyard
when the authorities came knocking, and it was regularly visited by the Duke of
Chandos and his friends, it was even rumoured that there was a secret tunnel
linking the inn with the grand house. Due to its close connection with Chandos,
the pub was renamed The Chandos Arms, and bared their coat of arms over the pub
sign; which was a common feature in pubs at the time in order for travellers to
identify the location in reference to the nearby gentry, particularly pertinent
since the majority of the population were illiterate. In addition to it hotel facilities
the inn was used for other uses, during the 19th century it was used
a location for hustings and polling during elections, members of the Edgware
Congregational Church held services in the upper rooms and the building was
also used as courthouse for the local magistrates, who would hold proceedings
for minor offences every Thursday morning, this lasted until 1913 when Hendon
Courthouse was constructed; and in 1896, a firehouse was constructed to the back of the
building, with a volunteer force of ten firemen. Later, in February 1927,
George Cheshire (then landlord of the pub) applied for the provisional removal
of his licence and to transfer it to a new site on Colindale Avenue, due to the
congestion of pubs in the Edgware area. The following year the local
authorities approved his request, and by 1937, construction of the new pub was
completed, it was named The New Chandos in reflection of its status. It quickly
became popular with workers from the nearby factories, and following a brief
period of closure, it reopened in 2013, under its original name. The pub
continues to operate, and remains a popular fixture with locals, holding
regular live music events and has even been used as a filming location in TV
shows. Meanwhile, the original Chandos Arms was demolished, during the 1930’s
it was used as a motor coach station, and today a branch of Lidl resides over
the former site.
The Change of Hart
Originally known at the White
Hart, a building has stood on this site since the 15th century.
Around c.1600, it was rebuilt as a coaching inn, to serve the passing traffic,
which had become increasingly lucrative. It was constructed as a three-storey
stuccoed structure, with a hipped tiled roof and wooden eaves cornices.[4]
Much of the ground floor was altered during the Victorian era, though traces of
its original architecture were maintained, including the timbering around the
drive-through, which was formerly utilized as a passage way for horses towards the
stables. The pub is unique in the area, for being the only one with architecture
dating back pre 20th century, since nearly all of the other surviving pub
buildings in the High Street were rebuilt during the early 1930’s. During much
of the 20th century, it was run by Taylor Walker, and it featured four
separate serving areas, it also featured a snug, a club room and a large beer
garden. The divides between the separate areas were later taken down, although
many its former hallmarks including the multi-sided bar counter were maintained,
along with its games room at the rear which featured a pool table; yet despite
it appearing large in size, due it’s layout it would often get cramped and
crowded during busy times. In 1972, well preserved 15th century timber beams
were located in a bedroom and in the kitchen attic, thus proving that the original
building was originally a late medieval construction, though the coachyard entrance
and hotel structure however were of later construction. This discovery led the
site to be listed a year later on 8th January 1973. For many years
the pub was known as The White Hart, yet in 1992 it was renamed The Change of Hart; during this period the pub served several real ales including Greene King IPA
(3.6%), Hart Bitter (?) and Tetley Bitter (3.6%), it also offered house beer at promotional
prices and home cooked food. By the 2000’s, the pub had become part of the
Punch Taverns chain, it was sold off and closed in November 2017 and was
converted into Dolce, an Italian restaurant, which too closed in 2020. Today the
building remains vacant, and despite it’s listed status, the upper floors are in
poor condition after unauthorised works. Last April, enforcement notices were
issued, that required a reversal of the unlawful changes to the exterior and
interior fixtures of the site.
The White Lion
The southernmost pub in the high
street, located only a few yards from the bridge that once crossed over the Edgware
Brook. It was first licenced in 1751, and it operated as a coaching inn, much
like its nearby competitors in the area. For much of its existence it was owned by
Trumans, the site was initially modest in size, but in the early 20th
century the site was largely rebuilt and enlarged, which allowed it hold large gatherings
for groups like the Edgware Rotarians to the staff at the local Sainsbury’s store.
Some of the original features were maintained, included the alleged room where
Dick Turpin stayed during his trips to the inn, the pub also featured a number of wall
displays dedicated the area’s connection with the highwayman. Moreover, the pub
held regular events including a weekly Jazz club, held every Sunday night and
it was also popular with fans of the nearby Edgware Town FC, as the grounds incidentally
backed onto pub. The club was established in 1939, the grounds was named The
White Lion in reference to its nearby public house, even its official badge
bared the emblem. The football grounds were also leased by Trumans who ran the
nearby pub, in 1987 the club took Trumans to court when the brewery failed to
renew their lease, as they intended to sell the land for redevelopment. In 1958,
the pub started organising regular live music gigs, when The Two R’s Club established
residency at the venue, with performances every Friday evening; a number of
bands performed here, including The Who. Later in October 1972, the pub introduced
an over 18’s discotheque that took place on Sunday evenings. The pub was later
owned by Scottish and Newcastle, yet trade gradually ebbed away from the pub,
and in 1996 the pub chain announced that the site will be sold and demolished. The
pub’s final landlord Paul Thompson stated at the time “look there’s simply no
trade here, barely anyone comes here, because this is a depressing place.
People want bright places like the new pubs in Harrow town centre. Pubs like
these have had their day.”[5]
The pub closed the following year, and in 2000 it was demolished, a Premier
Inn was later constructed on the site. In 2008, the White Lion ground at
Edgware FC closed following the end of the 2007-8 season, when their main
financial backers revoked funding. The freehold was bought out by Barrett Homes
and turned into a residential development named Zodiac Close.
The Leather Bottle
Sited north of the High Street in Stonegrove, it was built in 1860. One of two of pubs in Edgware run by Bennett’s and subsequently Mann, Crossmann & Paulin, during its 142 year existence the pub went through a number of changes, in the early 1920’s it was entirely rebuilt and enlarged into a two storey building. In 1965, then owners Watney’s renovated the pub as part of their Schooner Inns project, the interior was transformed to resemble a Swiss chalet, replete with wood panelled walls and fittings. Retrowow describes the Schooner Inns initiative as “these were a new concept in drinking places that aimed to have a wider appeal beyond the traditional pub drinker. They usually had restaurants and the standard was consistent.”[6] Many of the Schooner inns were refits of older pubs, much of the original architecture was often stripped out and replaced with modern fittings. They were often designed as themed pubs which had become prevalent around time. Themes varied widely from Vikings, Parisian, Naval, Hawaiian, Pirates and even Psychedelia. Following its refit, the pub’s interior featured in a number of films including ‘A Clockwork Orange’ (1971) during the scene where Alex and his Droogs have a drink at the fictional Duke of New York and ‘Assassin’ (1973), where it was used for interiors for the wedding reception scenes, the nearby Railway Hotel, was used for exteriors, to represent the wedding venue. During the 1970’s, the upstairs dining area was converted into a Berni Inn steakhouse, which subsequently turned into a Beefeater by the 1990’s. In May 1991, disaster struck when a major fire ripped through the pub, firefighters managed to prevent the building from being burnt to the ground, though the pub remain closed for several months. By the end of the decade it was called The Bottle and Dragon, yet dwindling customer numbers and an attempt at serving Thai food fell on deaf ears, and in October 2002 the pub closed. Bob Hallett, who worked at the pub in 1971, noted at time, "it's rather sad. It didn't take off as a pub-cum-Thai restaurant and it was hard to justify keeping it open for one or two regulars."[7] Residents were reportedly saddened to see the last pub in Stonegrove close, the building was subsequently sold to developers Pinecal and it was soon demolished and turned into flats.
The Corner House
Going further up the road towards
Canons Corner, was a pub that was designed for the coming of the motorways. Following
the construction of the A5088 (latterly the A41) in 1922, there were calls for
a new public house to serve the nearby junction between Edgware Way and
Stonegrove. After years fof wrangling, the pub opened it doors in 1937, constructed
by Dawe & Carter, it was designed as a roadhouse style pub that were
commonplace at the time. It had notably had large curved windows, brown-red/ brown
brick-work and Indian red/ brown tiles on the roof. The main entrance was
surrounded by a stonework border. The
building was symmetrical in appearance, with rounded edges on either side of
the building, that harked back to the turrets of medieval architecture, which commonly featured in pubs during the 19th
century. Roadhouse pubs were designed
for comfort in mind, David W. Gutzke noted “Roadhouse promoters wanted to
project an image of luxury as much as comfort in a recreational centre replete
with the most modern technology and expensive conveniences, especially in the
accommodation rooms.”[8]
Indeed it was reported by Hendon & Finchley Times at the time of the pub’s
opening that had a sweeping drive that could accommodate up to 60 cars, and the
interior was last word in comfort, with green leather furnishings in the lounge
and saloon bars, along with a wide open-air terrace for drinking on warmer
days.[9]
Basil Oliver once stated in his book 'The Renaissance of the British Public
House', “the Corner House, is a most ably planned house with large curbed window
ends to the public and saloon bars. These must be very attractive from the
inside. Carried up for bedrooms above with rounded roofs over, they certainly
add to the attractiveness of the cleverly contrived main elevation.”[10]
This pub epitomised the roadhouse pub both in look and concept. Over the years
it became a popular venue with local community, it was also used as a reception venue
for weddings, christenings and funerals. In the 1980’s, the pub’s interior was
extensively renovated and modernised, the following decade the pub came under
the ownership of Allied Domecq, as a result of a merger between Allied Lyons
and Pedro Domecq S.A. in 1994. Two years later, they announced that they would
be selling the site and converting the building into a McDonald's drive-in
restaurant, a similar fate had already befallen the Red Lion in nearby Borehamwood.
The regulars were up in arms about this decision, and initiated a campaign to
save the pub. The owners bluntly stated at the time “we are constantly
reviewing our estate, at the end of the day we are a commercial organisation
and have to ensure our company is profitable.” Despite the locals efforts to
save the pub, the campaign failed to have an effect, and the pub was closed and
sold off to McDonald's early in 1998. The loss
of this pub was due to corporate restructuring rather that diminishing customer
returns, which is a factor that has affected a vast number of pubs around the country. Roger Protz notes that by this time a quarter of all pubs in
the UK were owned by PubCo’s[11].
This included several in Edgware, and over the next fifteen years all of these
pubs would be closed, sold off or demolished by their respective PubCo owners.
The Sparrow Hawk
Situated on the outskirts of
Edgware, it was opened in 1957 by Whitbread & Co, to serve the relatively
new Broadfields estate, which was initiated in 1923 following the sale of 1,110
acres of land by Sergeant Cox; construction began in 1927 with Broadfields
Avenue, further development came in earnest in 1936, when John Laing’s
commenced construction of their Edgware estate, they built a substantial number
of houses and roads before the Green Belt halted their plans in 1948. The pub’s
name commemorated Ella, Countess of Salisbury, whom during the 12th
century gifted her son Nicholas and new wife the manor of Edgware, in return
for an annual gift of one sparrowhawk. From the outset, modernism was on the
cards, the interior had tiled flooring with a distinct diamond pattern design,
this surrounded a long-curved L-shaped bar counter, pulldown pedant lights
lined the vicinity of the building, and Bauhaus armchairs help gave place a
continental and contemporary feel, this was in stark departure to the many of
the older prewar pubs in the area. The venue quickly became a popular haunt for local
groups who held regular meetings there, organisations such as the Rotary Club, the
Edgware Round Table, The First London Toastmasters Club, the North London Breakers
Club and the Young Conservatives held meetings there, furthermore until 1964,
the local Catholic community held services at the pub, until their new church,
St Matthias Roman Catholic Church, opened in June 1964. By the 1960’s, the pub
started organising regular Jazz gigs, this proved popular with the punters and
they branched out into holding Rockabilly evenings, Blues, Prog Rock and
friends of the earth benefit concerts, the pub gradually became a well-known
venue for live music, at one time it was even dubbed the centre of the Rockabilly scene in North London. The pub also organised events, including the annual Miss
Sparrowhawk beauty competition and Whitbread’s Search for a Star, a talent
contest with heats taking place in several Whitbread pubs across London. The
pub was additionally notable for promoting up and coming talent, The Meteors
played their first gig here on 25th July 1980. In later years, the
pub was subsequently renamed as the Glengall Park and the Sparrow finally. In 2010 it was
announced that the pub will be closed and sold, it was put on sale for £1.3 million
pounds through AC&G, it quickly attracted a range of buyers including
community groups, residential developers and convenience stores. The pub closed
in April 2012, and the site was eventually split three ways, with Baranardo’s
and Tesco occupying the ground floor, and residential flats inhabiting the
upper floors. The original building remains in-tact, yet none of the original
interiors from it’s 55-year existence as a pub remain, following it’s closure.
The Edge of Town
One of two pub’s to open on
Station Road during the 20th century, it opened in 1992 on the site
of a former shop unit. Operating as a free-house from the start, the pub offered
several real ale options. In the December 1992 issue of London Drinker, it was
reported that they were serving Tetley Bitter (3.7%) and Worthington’s Best Bitter
(3.6%) on cask, they also held a monthly beer festival with up to 10 cask beers.[12]
By 1995, the pub was reportedly serving up to as many as 6 cask ales. Latterly, the pub was
taken over by Greene King, it ran weekly karaoke and disco events every
Saturday, along with regular live football during the weekends, it also became
popular with the local Irish community. Ultimately, the pub closed in October
2012, and subsequently returned back to its former usage as a shop, ironically as a Polish
supermarket.
The Railway Hotel
One of the most well known and
much missed of Edgware’s pubs. In 1929, with road widening schemes taking place
around the town centre, A-roads opening up which improving links to towns across
Middlesex, and new roads being built around the emerging residential suburbs.
The opportunity was rife for a new roadhouse style pub to cash in on the boom
in motor transport. In October that year, Truman’s submitted plans for their new
pub in Edgware and these were quickly approved the following month. A hotel had
already resided on Church Lane since 1874, built near Edgware railway station,
the terminus of the branch line between Edgware – Finsbury Park. The brewery brought
out the site and employed their in-house architects A.E. Sewell to construct a
new building in its place, which was completed in 1931, the same year Church Lane was renamed to Station Road. Designed in the Tudorbethan style (or Mock Tudor
for shot) which was inherently popular at the time. An imposing three-storey
structure, the building featured a number of design features that were synonymous
with this style, which included half timbered elevations to the upper floors, a
steeply pitched tiled roof, a set of six tall chimney stacks in the centre with ornate
brick-work with a three lined chimney stack to its adjacent right and two
smaller chimney stacks to the rear, carved wooden under the eaves, an asymmetrical
façade with six casement windows of varying size on the first floor, and further
a three casement windows on the 2nd, with two projecting from the
roof and notably the off-sales building on the right was linked by a tiled
archway with timber uprights, that bared the name of the building, whilst the
interior was similarly ornate with wooden panelling and four centred arched
fireplaces. Basil Oliver wrote in 1934, "it a technically perfect example
of revived quasi-timber-fronted construction, well to the high standard Messrs.
Liberty and Co.'s building of a similar Great Marlborough Street, but far too
mannered for A.D. 1932. when it was completed.”[13]
The pub was a notable example of the improved public house, as Dermot Kennedy
notes an “initiative to build bigger, better and fewer, and although quite a
few were built in city centres most found their way into the new suburbs where
there was space to create dramatic, streamlined public houses for the modern
world.”[14]
This was part of a concerted effort at the time to improve the range of facilities that a pub could
offer to the customer, and in the case of the Railway Hotel, this also included
on the 1st floor, an luncheon room that included a carvery and a masonic
lodge. Through the years, it became a popular venue for parties, wedding
receptions and various clubs including The Lotus Car Club, Hendon Darts League
and the London Toastmasters Club who held their first dinner there in January
1960. It also became utilized as a filming location, appearing extensively in
the film ‘Assassin’ (1973) where it was used for exterior shots in the wedding
reception scenes, it also featured in the background during the sequence where Matthew
(Mike Pratt) and Luke (Frank Duncan) have a meal at the T-Bone restaurant
situated opposite the Railway Hotel. Later, Trumans sold the pub to Grand Metropolitan,
whom later sold it onto Scottish and Newcastle. In the early 1990’s it was run
as a carvery restaurant called County Carvery, which was allegedly indifferent
in quality. Following a failed health and safety inspection, the pub unexpectedly
closed in May 2006, and has remained vacant ever since. The building was Grade II
listed in 2003 which ensured its continued survival, however due to successive owners
the place has been allowed to fall into a derelict condition. In 2013 the
building was added to Historic England’s Heritage at Risk register, following
repeated incidents of vandalism and fires. Notably, on the 11th July 2016, a
fire swept through the building, destroying much of the original interior
fittings in the ground floor area. A further fire in 2018 caused more damage. In
January 2019, more than 2000 people signed a petition calling on Barnet Council
and Historic England to preserve the 1930’s mock tudor building; campaigner
Mark Amies stated “the Railway is a part of the Edgware landscape that people
love dearly, but it is being allowed to fall to pieces.” [15]
For several years Amies has continued to campaign for the preservation of the building
and has frequently been vocal about its ongoing issues. In May 2023, Barnet
Council agreed to buy the landmark building and preserve it as part of the town
centre’s redevelopment. A compulsory purchase order was placed, after Historic
England cited fears that the building could potentially suffer from irreparable
damage.
The range of pubs around Edgware paint an illustrious picture and provides a window into its distant past. From the days when the area was little more than a village, a cluster of coaching inns including The George, The White Hart, The Barn and Hay Wain (The Beehive), The Chandos Arms and The White Lion for instance, opened up in order to cash on the growing coaching trade, indeed by 1791 three coaches passed daily through the area, which rose up to nine (on weekdays) by 1839, these inns were essential in bringing trade into the area. The coming of the railways with the opening of the station in 1867 failed to have a dent on the area’s pub trade, by this time many of the former coaching inns had increasingly converted over to becoming public houses, and new sites appeared on the scene with the likes of The Crystal Palace, The King's Arms, The Red Lion, The Jolly Dealers and The Surrey Arms for instance. By 1914, the number of public houses had plateaued which coerced the local authorities into action and close down some of the properties, although their efforts to revoke the licence of the Boot had been overturned twice, yet by 1929 with road widening schemes taking place their efforts prevailed, pubs including The Chandos Arms and The George were offered new premises in other areas, whilst The Beehive and the Masons Arms were rebuilt and re-sited. Around this time roadhouse and improved pubs were coming on the scene with the increase in motorised transport, and during the 1930’s places like The Railway Hotel and the Corner House emerged, whilst The Green Man was renovated and extensively rebuilt for the new age of the roadhouse pub. After the war, with new residential developments (such as the Broadfields estate) developing, there was a need to build pubs to serve these areas, and the likes of The Sparrow Hawk was constructed. Redevelopment projects also saw the likes of The Crystal Palace closing in 1939, and the Boot in 1965 respectively. Alas the rot set in following the Beer Orders Act of 1989 which restricted the Big Six brewers from owning more than 2000 pubs apiece, they circumnavigated this by merging with other companies, often with non-brewing connections. The majority of pubs across Edgware were owned by these emerging PubCo’s, and from the mid 1990’s onwards they were gradually closed down, The White Lion closed in 1997 and subsequently demolished, and the following year The Corner House was sold off to McDonald’s. In 2002, it’s neighbouring pub The Leather Bottle was also sold, demolished and turned into flats, meanwhile The Railway Hotel bit the dust in 2006, whilst the Mason’s Arms continued to linger on until 2012 when it was sold to a new operator, whilst both the Beehive and the Change of Hart were converted into restaurants, even newer pubs haven’t fare much better, with both The Sparrow and The Edge of Town closing in 2012, then subsequently turned into commercial properties. Edgware is a veritable graveyard of pubs, there are decaying ruins like The Railway Hotel and The Change of Hart that appear in a sorry state after years of dereliction, whilst others like The Masons Arms, The Beehive, The Corner House, The Edge of Town and The Sparrow still exist as structures, but have been converted to other uses. Then there are public houses that have been demolished and buried under new developments like the Premier Inn that looms over the buried remains of The White Lion, or Boot Parade which once resided The Boot. All of these pubs are part of the area’s extensive heritage, and each loss knocks another chunk out of of the area's past. Due to the perilous situation, there have been concerted efforts over recent years to preserve and revive some of Edgware’s former pubs, hopefully this campaigning will ensue and ultimately prevail, and once again restore the area’s long forgotten reputation as a town of many interesting pubs.
[1] 'Changes
in Edgware: Hotel which was visited by Nell Gwynne', Hendon & Finchley Times,
14th March 1930.
[3] ‘Middlesex
Licencing Committee Second Attempt to Close the Boot’ Hendon & Finchley
Times, 2nd July 1915.
[5] ‘Is
This Last Orders for the Traditional Boozer?’, David Brown, Harrow Observer, 1st
August 1996.
[8] ‘ImprovedPubs and Road Houses: Rivals for Public Affection in Interwar England’ by DavidW. Gutzke, Brewery History Society, Issue 119, Summer 2005.
[15] ‘Fears for future of fire-damaged former Barnet pub’, by Simon Allin, Barnet Borough Times, 26th January 2019.