BLACK CAP (CAMDEN): the situation is looking more hopeful for this famous Camden Town LGBTQ+ pub, which has now been closed for six years. There are new owners who told the Camden New Journal, “We understand and value the historical and cultural importance of the Black Cap to Camden Town, and in particular, to the local LGBTQ+ community. We are engaging directly with Camden Council and look forward to further positive discussions as we work closely with officials and the local community.” There is a group of dedicated campaigners who have never given up on their aim to have the pub returned to how it was, including obtaining an Asset of Community Value listing, and they have been holding frequent vigils outside the building. Let us hope that they get the outcome that their efforts deserve.
BLACK HORSE (GREENFORD): this Fuller’s house stands alongside the Grand Union Canal at Greenford. In mid June, the Ealing Today website carried a report on how, following rumours that Fuller’s intended to sell the pub for development, James Murray, the MP for Ealing North, had contacted Fuller’s. The article quoted the reply that he received from Fuller’s chief executive, Simon Emeny, which was as follows, “It has been interesting to see the development in Greenford and the recent sale of [nearby pub] the Railway. If we can see a strong future, particularly around strong local community engagement, we like to invest for the long term. If not we do look at alternatives.” Mr Murray said that he was ‘worried’ by this reply and set up a petition to save the Black Horse. Within three days the petition attracted over a thousand signatures. Fuller’s response was that they were ‘surprised’ by his starting the petition because they had no plans to sell the pub. More to come here, I suspect.
CASTLE (ACTON): this very distinctive North Action pub, dating from the 1920s, has been closed since November and has had hoardings around it since January 2021.
Fuller’s have sold it to a company called Tide Developments who have submitted an application to Ealing Council for its demolition and replacement with a tower block containing ‘462 co-living rooms with associated communal amenity spaces’ which means that it will be used mostly as student accommodation. A replacement pub is included in the plans. Usually this means a plain ground floor box which we know from long experience will never become a pub but this may be different. The development plans portray a quite impressive purpose built pub, still called the Castle, which presumably Fuller’s will operate. It will be interesting to see what develops.
CHEQUERS (BARKINGSIDE): this attractive pub in Barkingside High Street, believed to be owned by Star Pubs & Bars, has recently had, if you will excuse the pun, a chequered history. Having been refurbished in 2015, it closed suddenly in August 2018 despite having acquired a strong local following. It then reopened in March 2019, only to close again in the September for another refurbishment. It duly reopened mid October but failed to reopen during 2020 and by February of this year it was illegally occupied. By the end of May however, it had reopened, with a sign saying ‘under new management’. At first it was selling Doom Bar but this may have now been discontinued. All in all it is encouraging that it has reopened at all at this time and we wish its operators good luck. With thanks to Colin Price for the information (and for the pun).
COCK TAVERN (CAMDEN): two months ago a strange situation developed at this traditional Grade II*-listed local in Somers Town. Very rarely these days, it has a function room (on the first floor) which is widely used, from RMT union meetings to art exhibitions. The function room does not however have a direct fire escape and one needs to be installed to avoid users having to exit through the pub itself. The problem, as explained by a Camden Council press officer, is that, “the emergency fire exit would have directly opened onto the Walker House Estate, and there were concerns raised by the council as landowner and the tenants and residents association of the estate about this.” The chair of the residents’ association has put the blame entirely on the council; the Council say that the problem is with the demands made by the residents’ association. Meanwhile, the owner of the pub has taken the view that if he is prevented from using the function room then he might as well turn it into flats, as has already happened with the second and third floors. He told the Camden New Journal, “I’d much rather see it stay as a function room than turn it into flats, for sure, but without that fire escape we can’t use it.” There appears to have been no progress made so, on 21 June, the following planning application was submitted, ‘Change of use of first floor level of public house (Use Class Sui Generis) to residential (Use Class C3) to provide one self- contained flat and internal alterations to the existing flats. Relocation of public house kitchen facilities at basement level, including associated ventilation and extract’. Local activists are concerned that this would be the thin end of the wedge as regards the pub’s survival in an area which has already lost four community pubs. CAMRA’s North London branch has lodged an objection to the planning application in the hope that some solution can be found.
DUCHESS OF KENT (ISLINGTON): this local, formerly owned by the Wellington Pub Company, closed in March 2019. There were plans in 2018 to convert the upper floors to flats but nothing became of that. Now however an application has been made to Islington Council for a change of use for the ground and lower ground floors from public house (Sui Generis) to cafe and juice bar (Use Class E). The developers claim that they have not been able to let it as a pub so this is a practical alternative which will, as they told the Islington Tribune, “have a positive impact on the character and function of the area with reduced opening times and less propensity to causenoise or disturbance issues than a public house.” The more cynical among us might wonder whether it is more to do with Use Class E having Permitted Development Rights that would, after two years, enable them to carry out the conversion of the upper floors without needing planning permission. In the same newspaper, CAMRA North London branch’s Pubs Protection Officer, Joanne Scott, said, “Pubs create valued and meaningful connections, which reduce the risks of loneliness. Now more than ever we need to protect them, to help bring people together after such a difficult and isolating time. The Duchess of Kent is a beautiful pub, with original signage. It’s the kind of place that is disappearing across London. But with the right management it could be brought back. We would encourage Islington Council to reinforce their pub protection policy, to try to protect the Duchess of Kent for the local community.” This may be part of a trend. Two other pubs, the TALMA in Sydenham and the GREYHOUND in Shepherds Bush have also had applications submitted for change of use to Class E. Both are long term closed. The Talma is a classic ‘Trojan horse’ case where the upstairs floors have already been converted to flats and the remaining lock-up pub has not been let while the Greyhound, which has some wonderful Isleworth Brewery tiling and ceramic signage, has had an application to develop the upper floors rejected. Similarly, the owners of the Indo London (formerly the Old Blue Anchor) in Whitechapel Road asked Tower Hamlets Council for a ‘certificate of Lawfulness’ for a change of use to Class E but this was refused. It has been reported that the pub has been used as a shop since April at least.
MAGDALA TAVERN (HAMPSTEAD): I am pleased to confirm, somewhat belatedly, that this famous Hampstead pub has now reopened to general acclaim. I hope to have a feature on it in the next edition. CAMRA’s North London branch have given it LocAle accreditation.
MARQUIS OF LANSDOWNE (HOXTON): the café which has taken over this site, Molly’s Café, has now opened and there was a review in the Evening Standard of 30 June. Apparently, the chips are good. The site is part of the Museum of the Home (formerly the Geffrye Museum). Thus disappointingly ends a long saga.
PICTURE PALACE (PONDERS END): it has been announced that this former cinema, opened in 1913, will not be reopening after lockdown. It subsequently became a dance hall then a community centre until it became a Wetherspoon’s outlet in 2001 and was listed in the Good Beer Guide. It passed to Hawthorn Leisure in 2016. It is a distinctive building, featuring murals of Laurel & Hardy, Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd from its days as a cinema. If it can’t be a pub, let’s hope that some sympathetic purpose is found for it.
PLIMSOLL ARMS (FINSBURY PARK): burger company Four Legs, who previously operated out of the Compton Arms in Islington, have taken a lease on the former Auld Triangle in Finsbury Park. Having their own premises will allow them to ‘showcase a much wider repertoire of food’. The company’s founders, Jamie Allan and Ed McIlroy, described the building as a ‘proper pub’, adding that they ‘intend to leave it that way’. They have reverted to the pub’s original name accordingly. Some changes will inevitably be needed, not least a larger kitchen, and these will be financed by crowdfunding through Kickstarter. In due course they hope to brew, cure meat and make cheese on site.
THE STATE CINEMA (GRAYS): this magnificent building in George Street, Grays, was the largest cinema in Essex when it opened in 1938. Twenty houses were demolished to make room for it and it featured such new-fangled wonders as air conditioning and an illuminated Compton organ. Time, the last 30 years especially, has not been kind to it but its Grade II listing has kept the bulldozers at bay. The J D Wetherspoon organisation purchased the site in 2015 and they have always said that they intended to restore it and convert it into a pub, although their original plans, as approved by Thurrock Council in 2017, proved unviable. Now they are having another go at a cost of £5 million. Thurrock Council’s cabinet member for regeneration, Councillor Mark Coxshall, told the Essex Live website, “I am delighted Wetherspoon’s have now submitted new applications. These have been validated this week and will be going out to public consultation imminently. There has been a great deal of work behind the scenes to get this project back on track and ensure the State is returned to its former glory at the heart of Grays Town Centre.” It is hoped that the project will also create around 100 new full and part time jobs. A spokesman for JDW added, “We are as keen as ever to open our pub in Grays. We believe that the pub will be a great asset to the area and also a perfect opportunity to restore one of the town’s best-known buildings.” It isn’t clear whether or not JDW’s plans include the organ but it would be an unusual feature, to say the least.
TOLLINGTON (HOLLOWAY): this large street corner, popular with Arsenal supporters, has been put up for sale by owners KRNS Properties Limited with a reported asking price of £3.3 million. A campaign to save the pub has been formed by, among others, local politicians and the Arsenal Supporters Trust. The pub has been listed as an Asset of Community Value and over 8,000 people have signed a petition in support of publican Martin Whelan, who is in dispute with his landlords.
WINCHESTER (HIGHGATE): the local community continue to fight for this Highgate pub, closed since 2014. At least three planning applications for conversion to residential use have been fought off and its Asset of Community Value listing has just been renewed. One of the campaign’s leaders told the local newspaper, the Ham & High, “It is fantastic news that the Winchester Tavern has been relisted as an Asset of Community Value. It will give this building the added protection it deserves. We hope this sends a strong message to the owner to stop trying to build more flats and to find a tenant so the Winchester Tavern can finally reopen and the community can once again enjoy this much loved pub.” The Winchester, at one time known as the Winchester Hall Hotel, dates from 1881 and is on CAMRA’s national inventory of historic pub interiors and we can only hope that the interior is surviving.
ZEITGEIST (SE11 6AB): this Vauxhall pub had built up quite a following for its range of German beers and televising German football games. It has however now been acquired by a group of friends who will be operating it as a food led ‘proper local pub’ under its original name of the Jolly Gardeners.
FURTHER AFIELD: I’m pleased to report that, after being closed for ten years, the Little Gem in the Kent village of Aylesford has reopened. The pub, which dates from the 12th century and is said to be the smallest in Kent, is now owned and operated by Goacher’s Brewery who have restored it in keeping with its Grade II-listed status. That means that you still need to mind your head! I recall visiting a few times one the way back from Maidstone Beer Festival which was held at the nearby Museum of Kent Life (as it was then) at Sandling Farm. The Little Gem currently closes between 2pm and 5pm weekdays so plan your journey carefully.
NATIONAL INVENTORY PUBS YET TO OPEN: CAMRA’s Pub Heritage Group would be grateful for any information on the following pubs which are on the National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors but remain closed. If you can help, please send your information direct to the group at info@pubheritage.camra.org.uk.
- Bellingham (SE6 3BT) – Fellowship & Star (lease reported to be on the market)
- Maida Vale (W9 1EH) – Warrington