WAY OUT WEST: LONDON PUBS GROUP DAYTIME CRAWL OF EALING AND BRENTFORD ON
SATURDAY 25 FEBRUARY 2012
1)
12 noon Drayton Court Hotel, 2 The Avenue, West Ealing, W13 8PH. Although this pub is neither a
listed building nor on the Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) National or Regional Inventory of Pub
Interiors of Historic Interest, some fine features remain, notably in the sitting room off the lobby
which, with the staircase, retains a period feel. As for the exterior, it is described in the Pevsner
Buildings of England as “heavy-handed High Victorian”.
Fullers Bengal Lancer, Chiswick, Discovery, ESB, London Porter and London Pride are usually
available here. It is intended to use this pub as the lunch stop (British food is served all day) but, if
you prefer, you can leave this pub early and eat at the next pub on the crawl which serves Thai
food from 12 noon until 3pm or wait until you reach the third pub on the crawl which serves British
food all day. Turn left out of the pub and walk to the end of Castle Hill Parade. Cross over Castle
Hill Parade and walk to bus stop B (called West Ealing Station). Catch an E7 or E11 bus to the
next stop (stop F, called Drayton Green). Alight from the bus and continue down Drayton Green
Road to the junction with Uxbridge Road. Cross over Uxbridge Road to Northfield Avenue and walk
down Northfield Avenue to bus stop H (called The Lido). Catch an E2 or E3 bus to the stop called
Hessel Road. Alight from the bus and turn right to cross Northfield Avenue at the zebra crossing.
Turn right and then left into Seaford Road and cross over Leighton Road to
2)
1.45 pm Forester, 2 Leighton Road, West Ealing, W13 9EP. This is one of several pubs on the
crawl designed by the architect Thomas Henry Nowell Parr. Nowell Parr was born in Handsworth,
West Midlands in 1864. He started his career as an architectural assistant in Walsall Corporation
Architects' Department (1890 - 1894) and then moved to Middlesex to work in Brentford Urban
District Council (UDC) Architects' Department from 1894 to 1897. From 1897 to 1907 he was
Architect, Engineer and Surveyor to Brentford UDC and, while retaining this post, he set up his own
architectural practice in 1900. Among his designs for Brentford UDC is Brentford Library, built in
1903 and opened on 9 May 1904 by the Scottish-born American millionaire philanthropist, Andrew
Carnegie who had donated £5,000 to the cost of the building. In the same year (1904) a Boatmen's
Institute was built for the London City Mission to Nowell Parr's design on the Grand Union Canal at
Brentford - it is now a private house. He also undertook commissions from Fuller's and, as
mentioned above, the Royal Brewery, Brentford with the Three Horseshoes, Southall and the
Forester, West Ealing among his other pubs. Nowell Parr's son, John Nowell Parr (died 1975)
joined the architectural practice at some point. In 1914 Thomas Henry Nowell Parr moved from 42
Cranley Gardens, South Kensington to 52 Kew Bridge Road, Brentford. In 1925 he became a
Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects. He died on 23 September 1933.
This pub is not only a grade II listed building but it is also one of Britain’s Real Heritage Pubs (ie it is
on CAMRA’s National Inventory of Pub Interiors of Outstanding Historic Interest) and the description
is as follows: “A fine example of Edwardian suburban pub-building, erected in 1909 to designs by T.
H. Nowell Parr for the Royal Brewery of Brentford. Parr provided a most distinctive piece of
architecture, notable for its columned porticoes, green-glazed brickwork and prominent gables. Like
Parr’s Three Horseshoes, Southall, UB1, the Forester shows a shift away from late-Victorian glitz
and glitter towards a more restrained style. In all there are four rooms. There were originally five plus
the (disused) off-sales on Seaford Road, the reduction being caused by the amalgamation of the two
rooms to form the public bar. There are two rooms facing Leighton Road and one of these has the
remarkable distinction of possessing the only historic bell-pushes for waiter service known to the
authors in London pubs. For the avoidance of doubt they even have the word ‘BELL’ above them!
Apart from their rarity, they are curious in that there is a perfectly decent bar counter in this room
where able-bodied drinkers might reasonably have been expected to order their drinks! There are
some fine furnishings at the Forester. The servery still has its original counter and bar-backs which
display a number of Tudor arches, a favourite motif of Parr’s. There are a couple of Edwardian
fireplaces complete with the green tilework and in the public bar there are long-defunct remnants of
gas lighting. There are also some delightful floral Art Nouveau-style stained glass panels in the
windows. In the heart of the servery is an office for the publican. There are doors in the counters for
gaining access to service the beer engines in former times. The rear lounge is given over to well
regarded Thai food.
History across the road: The allotments on the eastern side of Northfield Avenue have been there
since 1832. The allotments were established next to market gardens and orchards which proliferated
in this area.”
The pub has recently (late 2011) been refurbished to a very high standard and the previously
closed public bar has been reopened.
The listing description is as follows: “Public house. 1909 by Thomas Henry Nowell Parr for the
Royal Brewery, Brentford. Rendered brick with granite plinth; gabled plain tile roof; corniced brick
stacks. Domestic Revival style. 2 storeys, with 3-bay elevations to both Leighton Road and Seaford
Road. Continuous ground-floor frontage, set on granite plinth and divided by piers with green tile
facings, is linked by decorative iron railings surmounting dentilled cornice and plain fascia; original
half-glazed doors set behind rounded open porch with Tuscan columns to corner, and two
segmental-pedimented porches with Tuscan columns to Leighton Road; bracketed pediment over
half-glazed door to public bar in centre of Seaford Road elevation; Tripartite wood-mullioned and
transomed windows with 4-centred arches to lower lights and stained glass to upper lights. First
floor has gauged red brick cambered arches over 3-light sashes flanked by shutters; two outer bays
to Leighton Road have similar sashes to bow windows set beneath carved brackets supporting
projecting gables with dentilled cornices continued round to Seaford Road elevation which has
similar gable set over cornice and recessed first-floor bay. Left-hand return has conservatory to
front of projecting bay with French window and flanking windows with glazing bars and stained
glass upper lights. Interior: complete pub interior, with public bar to right of large saloon bar which
opens onto restaurant to rear. Beamed ceilings; panelled dados; neo-Georgian fireplaces;
mahogany bar counter and fittings with pilasters framing mirrors; Tudor-arched doors, with
pedimented screens to saloon; saloon bar has panelled bar partitions; public bar has benches set
against wall with turned balusters. The Forester is the most celebrated of Nowell Parr's pub
designs, which formed a transition between the ornate pubs of the 1890s, divided into
compartments, and the move restrained neo-Georgian and Tudor open-plan pubs of the inter-war
period. (The Graphic, April 3 1909)”
Gales HSB, Greene King IPA, Sambrooks Junction, Sharps Doom Bar and Youngs London Gold
are usually available here. Retrace your steps to the bus stop and catch an E3 bus to the stop
called South Ealing Road. Alight from the bus, continue down Little Ealing Lane and cross over
Little Ealing Lane and South Ealing Road to the bus stop. Catch a 65 bus to the next stop (called
Darwin Road). Alight from the bus and cross over South Ealing Road to
3)
2.45 pm Ealing Park Tavern, 222 South Ealing Road, Ealing, W5 4RL. Although this pub is not a
listed building, it is one of London’s Real Heritage Pubs (ie on CAMRA’s London Regional
Inventory of Pub Interiors of Special Historic Interest) and the description is as follows: “A truly epic
piece of Edwardian pub architecture that forms a real landmark on the west side of South Ealing
Road. In recent times it has taken on a gastro-pub orientation as might be guessed from the
swathes of non-traditional dull blue external colouration and the vast plain windows. However,
drinkers are still welcome and they are rewarded by various real ales and considerable remains
from the original building. A tour starts outside with a highly impressive recessed porch framed by
a timber arch with bulgy columns and the monogram of the founders, the Royal Brewery
(Brentford) Ltd which ceased production in 1923. This porch has lovely green tiling and Art
Nouveau-style lettering which advertises the saloon (also named on the brass door plate). The
main drinking bar fronts Carlyle Road and has a long bar counter with a raked front. The lettering
on the bar-back fitting tells us this was once a Courage house (in the days when brewers still
owned pubs!). Behind comes a room with two-thirds-height panelling. On the right of the main
entrance is a lovely room with more wall panelling and an interestingly shaped bar counter. Further
to the right is a spacious room now used as a restaurant-cum-kitchen which must have functioned
as a billiard room or a further saloon.”
Courage Best and Greene King London Glory are usually served here. On leaving the pub, cross
over South Ealing Road and walk to the bus stop. Catch a 65 bus to the stop called Albany Road.
Alight from the bus and continue down Ealing Road to the junction with Brentford High Street.
Cross over Brentford High Street, turn right and walk along Brentford High Street to the junction
with Ferry Lane. Walk down Ferry Lane to
4)
4.00 pm Watermans Arms, 1 Ferry Lane, Brentford, TW8 0AW. Like the Forester earlier on the
crawl, this pub was designed by T. H. Nowell Parr. However, it is not a listed building nor is it one of
London’s Real Heritage Pubs. The pretty stained glass is almost identical to that at the Forester so
the building probably dates from the same time, ie 1909/10.
Greene King Abbot and IPA plus a guest beer are usually served here. Retrace your steps to
Brentford High Street, turn left and continue along Brentford High Street to the junction with
Catherine Wheel Road. Turn left into Catherine Wheel Road and continue down Catherine Wheel
Road to
5)
4.30 pm Brewery Tap, 47 Catherine Wheel Road, Brentford, TW8 8BD. Like the Drayton Court
Hotel and the Waterman’s Arms, this Victorian pub is neither a listed building nor one of London’s
Real Heritage Pubs. However, it was built by the William Gomm Brewery and acquired by Fullers
Brewery in 1908. Internally it retains separate drinking areas and thus an olde worlde atmosphere.
Fullers Bengal Lancer, Chiswick, London Pride, Gales Seafarers and a seasonal ale are usually
served here. On leaving the pub, turn left and left again and continue until you reach the rear of an
alleyway. Turn right into the alleyway and enter
6)
5.15 pm Magpie & Crown, 128 High Street, Brentford, TW8 8EW. Like the Drayton Court Hotel, the
Waterman’s Arms and the Brewery Tap, this pub is neither a listed building nor one of London’s
Real Heritage Pubs. However, it is a very pleasing building in mock Tudor style. It may well have
originated as a Royal Brentford Brewery tied house as it has many of the hallmarks of one of the
Brewery’s most renowned architects, T. H. Nowell Parr. Namely, Tudor arch windows; faux ceiling
beams; and wooden panelling. Unfortunately, it has been opened out and stripped back in recent
decades. Note, however, the plaster Tudor roses on the wall in the main room.
About six real ales and two real ciders are usually served here. On leaving the pub, cross over
Brentford High Street and catch a 237 or 267 bus to the stop called Kew Bridge Station and walk to
7)
6.30pm Express Tavern, 56 Kew Bridge Road, Brentford, TW8 0EW. Like the Ealing Park Tavern,
this pub is not a listed building but it is one of London’s Real Heritage Pubs and the description is
as follows: “A popular pub for real ale drinkers, the Express was rebuilt in mid-Victorian times and
old photographs show three original entrances. Now the sole, central doorway leads into a lobby
with a mixture of Victorian and (perhaps) 1930s glazing. The right-hand room retains its original
counter which, until rearrangements in 1994, stood further forward so creating a very narrow
drinking area. The bar-back is ornate but, strangely, comes in two different parts, the left-hand
portion being claimed as an import at some stage, though it is hard to understand what has been
happening. The doorway to the former landlord’s parlour has a fascinating double-sided clock over
it, surrounded by brown painted and gilt glazing bearing the name of the pub. This decoration
suggests a date of about 1870 and, if so, perhaps we have here some of the earliest surviving pub
fittings in London. The left-hand room has a fine marble fire surround and original counter. The third
room behind was remodelled in Tudor style in 1932 judging by the date scratched on a ceiling
beam. A curious feature is the little peep-hole in the door to the serving area. Apparently this was
used to call for drinks when the room was in use for private functions, for example, meetings of the
Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes whose horns still hang proudly over the door to the front bar.
The initials RA incised twice on the beams are of Robert (Bob) Aldington whose family acquired the
pub back in 1882 and still own it to this day.
History nearby: The Kew Bridge Steam Museum is the former premises of the Metropolitan Water
Works Company. Its most prominent feature is the Pump House Tower built in 1867 by Aird &
Sons. It is over 60 metres high.”
Bass bitter and one or two other beers are usually available here.
If you are interested, there are at least three more Nowell Parr pubs in Brentford although little
remains of their interiors. They include the Pottery Arms, 25 Clayponds Lane, TW8 0BN (sadly
closed at present); the Princess Royal, 107 Ealing Road, TW8 0LF; and the Beehive, 227 Brentford
High Street, TW8 0JG.
The Regional Inventory descriptions in these notes are extracts from a book published in July 2008 by
CAMRA called London Heritage Pubs: An Inside Story. Historic Pub Interiors in the Capital by Geoff
Brandwood and Jane Jephcote. The book has descriptions and photographs of all 156 pubs currently on
the London Regional Inventory.