On Wednesday 14 August, CAMRA’s London Pubs Group toured five backstreet and/or secluded pubs in the Belgravia area. We started at the Fox & Hounds in Passmore Street. This pub, which is recognised by CAMRA as having an interior of local historic interest, is an intimate Victorian street corner local that retains a traditional feel. Previously operated by Charrington and subsequently Young’s who sold it to Punch Taverns, it was once famous for having a beer and wine only licence. Some say that it was the last such pub in London. The pub, which features in Good Beer Guide (GBG) 2024, usually serves Laines Fox & Hounds Pale Ale, Timothy Taylor Landlord, Young’s Original and one guest ale.
The second venue was the Antelope in Eaton Terrace. This is also recognised by CAMRA as having a pub interior of local historic interest. It was built in 1830 and retains three distinct drinking areas. A former Nicholson’s house, which in the 1980s had been liveried as a Benskin’s house (Allied Breweries), is another current GBG entry. On the day of our visit it was offering Dark Star Hophead, Fuller’s ESB and London Pride, Gales Seafarers and Twickenham Summer Sun.
Pub number three was the Star Tavern in Belgrave Mews West. This is both a Grade II-listed building and a One Star pub on CAMRA’s register of pubs with interiors of special national historic interest. It is an early to mid-19th century three-storey brick building and has some infamy for allegedly being the place where the Great Train Robbery (1963) was planned. The bar back has mirrored panels and the wording ‘Family Wine And’ and ‘Spirits Stores’ in panels above left and right of an old clock. The presence of two front doors here suggests that the right hand one originally led to an off-sales counter.
There is a good set of colourful window screens and a nice etched and frosted front window giving the pub’s name. It has been listed in every edition of the GBG to date and offers a 10% discount to card-carrying CAMRA members. Dark Star American Pale Ale, Polar Flux and Hophead plus Fuller’s London Pride were the ales available.
A walk across Belgrave Square and though London’s diplomatic quarter led us to the Grenadier in Wilton Row. This famous ex-Watney pub has Two Stars on CAMRA’s register of interiors of national historic interest. Once an early to mid-19th century backstreet workers’ pub, built mainly for the staff of the neighbouring mansions, it is now very much an upmarket place for a drink and a meal, although it retains some original features. Originally known as the Guardsman, the plain, three-storey frontage appears much as it did when originally built (apart from the unnecessary application of white paint) with stone steps up to the main entrance. The two doors, one at the front at the top of the steps and the other on the right of the building in Old Barrack Yard, suggest that, small as it is, it would have had a couple of separate drinking areas. The fittings are simple as befits what was once a workers’ pub: a match-boarded dado round the walls and an old bar-back with plain shelving and plain bevelled mirrors, although with some wood carving at the top. The counter has had a pewter top placed on it at some stage. The walls are decorated with militaria and the pub was reputedly once a billet for the Duke of Wellington’s officers. Fuller’s London Pride, Greene King IPA and Grenadier Ale and Timothy Taylor Landlord are normally served here.
Our tour concluded in the Nags Head in Kinnerton Street, another former Benskins branded pub. Like the Fox & Hounds and the Antelope, this is also recognised by CAMRA as having an interior of local historic interest. Although the pub has considerable charm and character and appears on first sight to be of great antiquity, closer inspection reveals that it has been subjected to considerable alteration over the years. There was certainly a pub in the building in the 19th century, with the essentials of the current layout being visible on plans dating from 1906, but the configuration of the interior was modified during or before 1947 and again in 1974. On entering the main door there is a small ground floor bar with two fireplaces. Wooden panelling on the walls is covered with old artefacts and memorabilia, although much of this was probably purchased and installed in the late 20th century. Old photographs suggest that the bar counter may be made from the timbers of an older bar and the unusual beer engines date from the mid-19th century. Stairs lead to a small upstairs drinking area. A second set of stairs lead downwards to a lounge. This is again wood-panelled with a fireplace at the rear.
The floor consists of stone flags which may predate the mid-20th century modifications. Plans reveal that in the early-20th century the bulk of this area was occupied by a kitchen. The downstairs bar counter was installed at the same time. Although partitions have been removed, the basic early 20th century configuration of the ground floor and lower bars can still be detected. The interior is additionally recognised by CAMRA as being an Outstanding Conversion and Restoration and described as follows, ‘This pub of considerable charm and character appears to be a genuine early Victorian beer house but it has been considerably altered. The upper bar is the combination of a tiny public bar and smoke room. It has two fireplaces and the lowest counter in London if not in the country. Mounted on the counter is a marvellous pewter beer engine with pink ceramic handpulls. The walls are crammed with pictures and a collection of memorabilia includes a ‘What the butler saw’ machine and two early fruit machines. Stairs lead to a minute upstairs drinking area and there is a small panelled lounge bar downstairs with a fireplace and stone flags. House rules include that coats must be hung on hooks and no use of mobile phones’. Adnams’ Ghost Ship, Lighthouse and Southwold Bitter are the usual offer.