{"id":6339,"date":"2026-05-27T09:17:50","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T09:17:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/?p=6339"},"modified":"2026-05-27T09:17:50","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T09:17:50","slug":"pub-news-may-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/2026\/05\/27\/pub-news-may-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Pub News – May 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u25ca<\/strong> The Big Smoke Pub Co have converted their tenancy at the Bricklayers Arms<\/a><\/strong> in Hersham into a long lease.\u00a0 This, they say, strengthens their long-term commitment to the site and will enable further investment in the venue’s future. \u00a0It is their seventh pub in Surrey and is quite close to the brewery.\u00a0 The freehold is owned by the Wellington Pub Company.\u00a0 The pub had previously been run by the same landlord for 42 years.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u25ca <\/strong>One of the few pubs disposed of by Wetherspoons in 2023 that has not remained a pub is the Capitol<\/a> <\/strong>in Forest Hill.\u00a0 Lewisham Council have now approved a planning application for this historic former cinema to be converted into a children\u2019s indoor soft play centre.\u00a0 The proposal was supported by the Theatre Trust who felt that this would be a good way of returning the Grade II-listed building to community use.\u00a0 Its stained\u2011glass windows, decorative plasterwork, original joinery and proscenium arch will be preserved.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u25ca<\/strong> Congratulations to Stephen and Maryann O\u2019Connor of the Green Goddess<\/a><\/strong> in Blackheath who have won the \u2018best independent beer bar or pub in a city<\/em>\u2019 award at the 2026 SIBA Business Awards.\u00a0 The pub is a converted Barclays Bank branch.\u00a0 It is planned that the pub, which is very much a community hub, will become the home of the Common Rioters brewery.\u00a0 The equipment has been delivered and installation is in progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25ca<\/strong> The former Tooting Tram & Social<\/a><\/strong> is one of the last of the pubs included in the Antic Collective administration in early 2025 to be disposed of.\u00a0 It has now become the House of ORA, a community cultural space and music venue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25ca<\/strong> The Mother Red Cap<\/a><\/strong> in Archway closed in 2024 when the then landlord retired and it has been empty and boarded up ever since.\u00a0 The pub dates back to 1871 and is locally listed, with some original tiling.\u00a0 The freehold is understood to be owned by Star Pubs & Bars (Heineken).\u00a0 The boarding has now been removed and the Ham & High<\/em> local newspaper reports that the owners had been contacted and that the pub is being renovated and will \u2018definitely return as a pub\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25ca<\/strong> The Orange Tree<\/a><\/strong> in Winchmore Hill closed in February when the long-term licensees retired. This large traditional pub, standing by the New River, has frequently appeared in the Good Beer Guide<\/em> and is a former CAMRA branch pub of the year (Enfield & Barnet).\u00a0 It was originally a Taylor Walker house and still displays their sign.\u00a0 Worryingly, it is up for sale and is described as a \u2018former pub with significant potential for residential conversion and new build\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25ca <\/strong>The Talbot<\/a> <\/strong>in Acton closed at the end of 2023.\u00a0 This three storey Victorian estate pub retains some heritage, with windows etched with Mann, Crossman & Paulin brewery signs.\u00a0 Although not listed, it is acknowledged as being a \u2018locally recognised landmark\u2019.\u00a0 There are now development plans to extend the roof to provide nine residential units but with the pub retained.\u00a0 Inevitably, there are always doubts over such projects. Upstairs had previously provided hostel accommodation.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u25ca <\/strong>The Victory<\/a> <\/strong>in East Dulwich, having spent the last 26 years as Franklin\u2019s restaurant, has now reopened as a pub under its original name.\u00a0 It is being operated by a local restauranteur, supported by a group of locals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25ca <\/strong>The Wellington Arms<\/a><\/strong> in Watford is under threat.\u00a0 The owners have applied to Watford Borough Council for permission to demolish the pub and replace it with eight residential units and a Class E commercial unit on the ground floor.\u00a0 Class E would rule out any sort of replacement pub or bar. \u00a0As usual, the developers are claiming that the pub is not viable but the local CAMRA branch, Watford & District, do not agree and believe that it does not comply with Watford Local Plan paragraph 12.10, which requires valued community facilities like pubs to be protected.\u00a0 There are also possible issues over the marketing and advertising of the pub. The branch has encouraged local people to register their objections.\u00a0 The closing date was 1 May.\u00a0 Fingers crossed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u25ca The Big Smoke Pub Co have converted their tenancy at the Bricklayers Arms in Hersham into a long lease.\u00a0 This, they say, strengthens their long-term commitment to the site… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6344,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pub-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6339"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6339\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6345,"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6339\/revisions\/6345"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/londondrinker.camra.org.uk\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}