​The Jolly Sailor - South Norwood, SE25 (Reopened 2023!)

The boarded up closed down Jolly Sailor pub in South Norwood, SE25
​The Jolly Sailor - South Norwood, SE25
The Jolly Sailor closed in late 2019. A cruel review on Beer in the Evening described it as "a local pub for local people, like the Slaughtered Lamb in American Werewolf" but in my limited experience it was not a bad little boozer and the landlady Val was friendly enough and invited me to a free BBQ a few days later. The blue and purple 1990s lighting was the only thing that didn't endear me to the pub. Especially popular with Palace fans on match days, it showed footie on the screen, darts and a pool table. Evening attractions included karaoke and sometimes live bands playing SKA and reggae. Since these photographs were taken in 2022 the Jolly Sailor reopened in 2023.

The pub has an illustrious history. Opened in 1810 beside the newly opened Croydon Canal, and subsequently rebuilt in its current form in the late 1860s. Rumours abound of a haunted cellar once used by smugglers to stash illegal goods, and the original building had a boxing gym upstairs. The London and Sporting Chronicle in 1828, covered a prize fight between Ned Savage and Peter Sweeney – who trained at the Jolly Sailor – described a bloody affair which took place on the banks of the canal, detrimentally affecting local sensibilities.
​Rear view of the derelict Jolly Sailor pub South Norwood, SE25
​Rear view of the Jolly Sailor - South Norwood, SE25
​The Croydon Canal opened in 1809 & enabled lime, timber, chalk and agricultural produce to be sent to London in exchange for coal being handled to Croydon, then an ancient market town. The canal was beset with problems as it had 28 locks between New Cross and Honor Oak, a stretch of just over 2 miles. These locks were costly to maintain, and caused queues & congestion for the barges waiting to negotiate them. The canal was a financial failure and closed in 1836 and the railway line from London Bridge to Croydon was built, generally following the route of the canal. South Norwood's first station opened in 1839 and was located between what is now Manor Road and upper part of the High Street. The station was originally named the Jolly Sailor after this  pub but renamed Norwood in 1846. In 1859, the station moved to its present site in Station Road and is now known as Norwood Junction. 

Obvious to say, this pub is covered on my guided walking tours along the route of the Croydon Canal. Unsubstantiated rumours are that the premises are being marketed for prospective new tenants.

Deptford, SE8 - Lord Palmerston

Picture of derelict Lord Palmerston public house in 81 Childers St, Deptford, SE8.
Deptford, SE8 - Lord Palmerston
This pub closed in 2013 and once served employees of  adjacent Stone's foundry (all gone now) which had nearly 700 employees. Stone & Co was a British marine and railway engineering company for the manufacture of nails and rivets. The Deptford factory closed in 1969, but production continues to operate in Charlton though are due to close down soon after selling off their land to developers for the building of 1500 flats.

A Deptford warehouse was used in the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall and Daniel Craig was seen drinking at the Lord Palmerston and playing darts with the locals.

Planning permission to convert the premises into flats was refused and the intention is for it to return to being a pub but lets see...

Charlton, SE7 - The Victoria

The Victoria pub, a derelict landmark along the route of the London Marathon in Charlton
Charlton, SE7 - The Victoria (2019)
​The Victoria pub, a derelict landmark along the route of the London Marathon, closed in the late 1990s and has received many comments since it first featured on the Derelict London website in 2003. There are stories about numerous late night lock ins and it (allegedly) being the place buy dodgy cars or obtain bent MOT certificates. Also many people commented on it's sloping floor due it being built on a gradient.

Despite the beautiful exterior featuring the Truman's Brewery eagle symbol the pub is in a terrible condition and looks like it could collapse at any point as there are metal poles, in the fly-tipped rubbish strewn cellar, propping up the building. After years of neglect and poor security the interior of the building has been gutted out and is full of pigeon droppings.  

Plans have been submitted to restore the building converting it into a takeaway and attach housing the the rear. Unless the building falls apart in the meantime… A fire ripped through the building in May 2019 when four fire engines and around 25 firefighters attended. I took these photographs a few weeks before the fire when I was doing a live broadcast for the BBC London Vanessa Feltz show.
Victoria in Charlton. Years of neglect and poor security the interior of the building has been gutted out and is full of pigeon droppings.
Charlton, SE7 - Interior of The Victoria derelict pub (2019)
​Jane Grant writes to Derelict London: "I did indeed drink in there regularly with my husband and two friends in the mid-late 1990s. The landlord was permanently drunk and the wrong side of the bar, he did bent MOTs and sold dodgy cars. He had two classic vanguards, with original paperwork, but dodgy VIN numbers and for our sins, we obtained an old Capri from him complete with dodgy MOT. He was a classic of his kind and the destruction of the old building will take a magnitude of memories with it. The whole pub sloped downwards, but it appeared better the more you drank!"

Matt Helm writes to Derelict London "I had one scary night down in Charlton/Woolwich one night where we were locked in one of the pubs at around 1:30am until the bloke outside with a grudge & sawn off shotgun sobered up and went home (can't remember if it was The Victoria or The Thames Barrier Arms)!"

Barbara writes on the Derelict London Facebook page: "This was our pub of choice in the mid to late eighties. Yes the floor was at a dodgy angle, but the Landlord & Landlady had made their money whilst the Barrier was being built (as did the other local pubs!) and were seeing out their time till retirement. Lovely couple, genuinely nice people"
Derelict decaying interior of a closed down pub. The Queens Arms aka The Two Bobbies - South Norwood. London. SE25
The Queens Arms (aka The Two Bobbies) - South Norwood SE25

​​The Queens Arms (aka The Two Bobbies) - South Norwood SE25

​
The Queen's Arms on Portland Road was on this site from the 1840s, and rebuilt in the early 1920s. The pub was renamed  The Two Bobbies after the two licencees shortly before it closed in 2005. The forecourt was used for selling cars for a few years while some rooms were squatted. A suspicious fire caused damaged in 2009 and hoardings around the pub were erected.These hoardings collapsed as a result of Storm Doris in February 2017.

In 2012/3 plans were submitted to demolish the pub and build a hotel aimed at business travellers attending conferences though upon closer inspection it appeared the small rooms with tiny single beds with a hob in each room and local objectors said that it was actually designed as a hostel.The Council refused planning permission and the site is currently available for lease.

Note: this place is  structurally unsound  & extremely dangerous so don't attempt to enter it.  

The Little Crown - Albion Street, Rotherhithe SE16

This one has been closed since the late 1990s and so far planning applications to demolish it have failed

​​The Bird in Hand - Croydon

​The Bird in Hand (and briefly the Bird of Pride before reverting to its former name) on Sydenham Road was built beside the Croydon Canal in the 1820s. The canal closed in 1836 and replaced with a railway line but the pub carried on until recently and was advertised itself as "Croydon's Longest Running and Only Gay Bar - serving as a Croydon Gay Bar for nearly 30 years." Jo, the landlady, interviewed in East London Lines said the smoking ban has made customers think twice before leaving their house, choosing to drink and smoke in the comfort of their own homes rather than be exposed to the elements in the British winter. The Bird in Hand was a target for criminals, having been robbed, even at gunpoint, more than a dozen times during Jo’s tenure as landlady.

The premises are now being marketed as a development opportunity.

The Pagoda - Tower Bridge Road, Bermondsey


On my  guided walking tour of the Neckinger  we follow the route of the lost river from where tidal ditches were dug courtesy of the monks at Bermondsey Abbey and a dense commercial area of factories, warehouses and mills had grown up. 

On route to Elephant & Castle we pass dead pubs including this one - The Pagoda. In recent years it turned into a short lived gastropub called The Hartley (named after the nearby former jam factory) and then it became a Caribbean bar/restaurant called O-Bar but that has been closed since a fire in summer 2014.Since then there have been plans to convert the building into a hotel. Signage remains for all 3 names of  the building's past.

There are rumours that local celeb Tommy Steele sang here in his youth.

The Portmanor - South Norwood SE25 ​​

Picture of the derelict Portmanor pub in South Norwood. the pub was frequented by Crystal Palace supporters including the Holmesdale Fanatics
The Portmanor - South Norwood
Originally called The Signal, the Portmanor was a popular locals pub over the years and well known amongst home fans of nearby Crystal Palace FC. The Holmesdale Fanatics, a lively bunch of Palace supporters, drank in here and attracted the attentions of the police claiming that many of these fans were hooligans. This was hotly denied by Palace fans and other locals who blamed the local press for negative publicity. Croydon Council rejected an application by police in early 2014 to shut the pub down and dismissed suggestions the pub's customers were a cause for concern.

However the pub closed its doors for the last time  after the landlord claimed that the pub company Punch Taverns failed to support him and install CCTV to comply with the terms of his licence. The pub is never likely to open again as plans are being put forward for conversion into flats.

A happy memory of the Portmanor from a poster on the Crystal Palace fans forum: "Barmaids with Palace tops, Footie on the box, free food pre match and good music after. What is there not to like about the Manor. Oh, and now smelly John has popped his pants..I mean clogs, it doesn't smell like an exploded cat any more. Happy days. Now if they can just sort out the bogs - it's like the shallow end of a paddling pool in there! Always wondered what happened to that guy. RIP smelly john :("

And one from Beer in the Evening reviews: "I would rather drink toilet duck in a crackhouse than frequent this dive again."

Well, that Brighton poster wouldn't have lasted long by the door of this pub in the old days ;-) 

Addiscombe, Croydon, CR0 - The Leslie Arms (aka Sgt Peppers and Shocks in the 1980s )


The Lesley Arms was originally built by Croydon Brewers' Nalder & Colyer to be their show-piece pub (their brewery tap in Surrey Street, Croydon being unsuitable for this treatment). This landmark Grade 2 listed empty pub with its round tower was first featured on Derelict London over a decade ago and not much progress has been made since, following failed planning applications. Some work started on the ground floor but was abandoned. When it first closed there were threats of demolition before the exterior got listed status. Then there was the talk of converting it into a hotel,a health centre & then a hostel for asylum seekers  

A local council candidate writes on his campaign website: There has been a lack of maintenance and the effects of squatting have resulted in the current poor condition of the building. Labour and Tory politicians have bickered as to whose fault it was that the building had got into this state; which is a symptom of the problem of the major political parties, each is as bad as the other.

Local bands used to play in the pub at weekends including rock and roll band CSA in the mid 1970s fronted by popular South London milkman Tony Vincent. Tony Blackburn DJ'ed on a Radio London soul night in here in the 1980s.

Bramcote Arms - Bermondsey SE16

This dead pub in Bermondsey sits near the confluence of two of South London's Lost Rivers - The River Peck and the Earl's Sluice.

During the 1980s the pub was seen in police drama Dempsey & Makepeace in the episode ‘Mantrap.’ The pub was also used by the cast who celebrated end of filming with drinks here every couple of weeks.

Due to its close proximity of The Den, the pub was popular with Millwall fans. In 2002, 45 police officers were injured when trouble erupted after Millwall lost to Birmingham in the Divison One play-offs. Police said a group of 900 Millwall fans outside the Bramhope Arms spent an hour throwing missiles, including bricks and fireworks at police. A low wall around the basketball court opposite was broken down to provide more bricks to use as missiles. Two cars were also set alight.
 
The pub hit the local headlines in 2008 after 16 people were arrested after 100 police in riot gear burst into The Bramcote Arms executing a drugs search warrant. 

The pub closed down in 2012  & is being converted into flats.
Neil writes: "In Mantrap (Dempsey and Makepeace) the 'baddies' drive past the pub. Its a great wide angle shot and shows how derelict the area was at the time, the pub being the only building standing!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTrlKqNK820 around 6:50.

Peckham, SE15  - The Clayton Arms

A local Peckham boozer that survived being ransacked by 50 youths in the 2011 riots but eventually closed in late 2013.  Reopened in 2015 

MONTAGUE ARMS - NEW CROSS, SE15

Following the very sad passing of long time managers Stan & Bet (both in their 80s) the pub closed its doors at the end of 2011. Stan and Bet had been running the pub with owner Peter Hoyle since 1967. 

The pub was decked out with an eclectic bunch of curios from nautical gear to taxidermy including a stuffed zebra head looking out of an old horse drawn carriage! The Sun newspaper reviewed the pub shortly before closure: "decor like the pirate ship in The Goonies and an events calendar including The Unwrong Quiz make this one of our strangest, and best,boozers."

There were signs displayed outside proclaiming 'Coaches Welcome' which always looked a little odd in this neighbourhood but the pub must have had deals with cross-channel drivers as coaches full of tourists used to call in for a drink, and sometimes food, while often being entertained by houseband The Two Petes  - a blind keyboard player and a drummer who was the pub owner. They had been playing there since 1970 and in their early days they released "Live at the Montague Arms" albums. Comedians Jimmy Jones, Jim Davidson and Mike Reid all began their careers performing at this pub.

In 1989 the NME interviewed Shane MacGowan of the Pogues, Mark E Smith of the Fall and Nick Cave together in the Montague Arms: 'A bottle's throw from Millwall FC, The Montague Arms, a mock Gothic fun pub for morbid tourists, plays host to a bizarre summit meeting. Amidst stuffed horses' heads, skeletons on bicycles and mocked up corpses, three of contemporary music's most infamous individuals are gathered at the NME's request....It all ends up like this: 'Things fall apart. The unholy trinity climb on the pubstage. MacGowan on drums, Smith on guitar and Cave on the organ. A jam of sorts ensues - The Velvets meets Hammer Horror with a hint of Acid House. Totally wired. Summit mental'

Up until its demise the pub continued hosting numerous events including gigs by Gang of Four and Band of Holy Joy. Soon after closure the contents of the pub were auctioned off. However the pub reopened in 2014 and they have bands on again, and the new people running it are trying to carry on in the tradition of Stan and Bet as far as possible.

BERMONDSEY SE16 - THE NEW CONCORDE 

The defunct New Concorde in Bermondsey SE16

Quite a lunchtime haunt for students of the adjacent Southwark College. Ive been informed on good authority that the Gallagher Brothers were seen drinking in there in the mid 90's though I cant think what would draw Oasis to the back streets of Bermondsey.

Darren English writes: " I couldn't help myself replying to your comment on why Oasis would be drinking in 'The Concorde' during the 90's. Opposite the Concorde on the the site of the old Peek Frean's biscuit factory (itself a very interesting site, complete with tunnels and its own station) is the Tower Bridge Buisness Complex. I worked at the complex as a surgical instrument maker, now a derelict profession for me!, from 1992 until 2006. Sometime during the 90's a rehearsal studio opened in the far left corner of the main car park. Called, Music Bank it played host to many stars of the music industry. As well as Oasis, East 17 and Pink Floyd (circa Division Bell tour). We were also treated to a concert in the carpark by Vanessa Mae, on the back of a lorry! The story with Oasis goes that after a hard session in the studio they would retire to the Concorde for another hard session. I never drank in there apart from the odd christmas pint but I know that at least one of the Gallaghers was barred from there after a fight with some 'locals'. Probably something to do with the fact that Millwall and City had a bit of a hatred of each other at the time! These are however just threads of the story that was told to me at the time, but they definately did drink in there a few times."

EAST DULWICH, SE22 - THE GROVE


The Grove according to their website is "closed for reburbishment" but its been boarded up a long time now.  It was a Harvester until early 2011 and then run by Stonegate Pubs (who owns the Yates, Slug & Lettuce, Scream brands) until a fire in Summer 2012. There are no signs of any work going on there and there have been some squatters living there. The grounds must be worth a fortune if you get my drift- the garden and car park are massive.

Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor used to dine here when they had a house in Dulwich during the 1960s. In its final few years as a Harvester it didnt have a great reputation but the food and pints were much cheaper than elsewhere in Lordship Lane. I ate here a sometimes  until the final straw of some half cooked fish, amazing disappearing serving staff  & the wine arriving at the end of the meal . Im used to some ropey places so happy to give a bit of slack but I ending up lodging a formal complaint and Harvester gave me a voucher for 2 complimentary meals. I accepted the voucher and used it at another branch!

PECKHAM - LONDON & BRIGHTON

The London & Brighton empty pub in Queens Rd Peckham


A popular pub next to Queens Road station though was quite run down in its latter days. Since then it has been a squat and hosted quite a few parties. Demolished late in 2013. Only the pub sign remains as redevelopment of the land into a shop and flats is now complete.

PECKHAM SE15 - PHAROAHS 

The Walmer Castle aka Pharaohs in Peckham SE15
Previously known as “The Walmer Castle Public House” until re-opening after temporary closure for refurbishments in 2002.

In Victorian times, the Old Bailey archives record a case at this pub where a counterfeit shilling was tendered by a customer who got sentenced to 15 months hard labour as a result. The pub was run in the 1980's by Chris Finnegan a British Olympic boxing champion. Someone writes to Derelict London: "In the 80's I remember a couple of Chelsea and West Ham footballers fighting a man over a girl in here one evening". Infamous skinhead/Oi! bands The Last Resort & Combat 84 played a gig here in the early 80's.

In late 2002 a double shooting incident occurred at the premises and various rumours of criminal activity and late night clubs followed. A fire was the final straw......Rebuilding took place in late 2008 to convert it into flats but before the job was completed a fire in Jan 2009 caused havoc once again.

BELLINGHAM SE6 - THE GREEN MAN 

The Green Man on Bromley Rd Bellingham SE6

Pauline Baxter writes: "My Great Aunt Flo, (Florence McEvoy) a semi pro pub singer of SE London, collapsed and died whilst singing 'Puppet on a String' on stage at the Green Man 1979. She was well into her 80's at the time. At the time, my Dad said 'one of her strings snapped'! - she was a Great Aunt on my Mum's side I hasten to add. She would wear long evening dresses and lots of bling for her gigs and that is what she was buried in. The funeral cortege stopped outside the pub as a mark of respect. The headline in the South London Mercury at the time was 'Grandma's Tragic Singsong'.

Henry writes: "Local rumour has it that a group of out of towners, denied an after-hours drink, took revenge by burning it to the ground! It was then inadequately boarded up and taken over by squatters. These people were removed and serious security put in place. So it sits today, a total waste of valuable land, a few hundred yards down the road from the equally forlorn pub on this site, the Tigers Head"

PENGE - HOP HOUSE 


The London Tavern became The Hop Exchange, then The Hopsack and finally The Hop House

"It's a very special knowledge that you've got, my friend
You can travel anywhere with anyone you care
It's a very special knowledge that you've got, my friend
You can walk around in New York while you sleep in Penge"
David Bowie - Did You Ever Have A Dream lyrics

PENGE - GRACE'S 


Legendary Victorian  WG Grace was player & manager at The London County Cricket Club  which was based at nearby Crystal Palace. He lived locally and is buried in the adjacent cemetery.These pics were taken in 2013.  The pub  re-opened in Summer 2014 as "The Graces", a  bar & grill type place

BERMONDSEY SE16 - MANOR TAVERN 


Stephen writes: "The pub was between a small nature reserve and Galleywall Primary School . I was involved in trying to maintain the nature reserve for a period in 2004/05. On checking out the nature reserve, which was semi-derelict, I realised part of the pub wall had fallen into the nature reserve. I went around to the pub and spoke to the landlord; he took me into the pub yard, which had a very large dog and numerous dog turds. I looked at the stump of the collapsed wall and propped against it were a number of scaffolding poles that seemed to be holding up part of the side and back of the pub, which had a big crack in it. Because we wanted to try to make the reserve work and get children involved, I spoke to a building inspector who visited the pub with me, and he told the landlord that the side of the building was dangerous and neededto be repaired. Within a couple of weeks of this the pub had been burned. Galleywall School has closed and I understand the area is due for development."

BERMONDSEY SE16 - EARL OF BEACONSFIELD 


J Flood writes: "this pub used to be my grandfathers during the 2nd World War. My father used to take me there on a no. 70 tram.. I remember playing on the flat roof watching the southern railway trains go by.. I used to enjoy visiting my granddad as I used to be given all the used metal beer bottle tops (different colours) which as kids we stuck to our clothes like medals I do remember the pub was popular with the dockers and although the pub received a couple of incendiary bombs during the big german raid on the surrey docks remained open although I understand my dad tried to persuade my grandad to leave because of the risk so close to the docks but evidently stayed to give the dockers their beer. At least that is the story I grew up with..I also remember a pianola in the bar and pictures of my grandad on the walls I suppose all gone now…"

BERMONDSEY SE16 - THE BARNABY. Originally called the Canterbury Tavern. 


Before and after every home match the pub had long been rammed with Millwall fans, whether it be to drown their sorrows or raise a glass to three points.Now its destined to become flats.

The landlady of The Barnaby, for 10 years called the decision to close the pub "a real blow for the community, Millwall fans from all over have always come here on match days. Now there is not really anywhere for them to go," she added. "The nearest pub they could go to is a good half hour walk to the ground. They used to leave here at 2.45pm and be in the Den for kick-off at 3pm. There is always such a great atmosphere here. Everyone is friendly. It is a family pub really."


Pete recalls this pub in the 1970's: "This is about as Old London as you can get, and was even more so back in 1978. The pub was heaving that Friday night, and you didn't see many black faces. Well, you didn't see any black faces, or Arab faces, or, indeed, any faces other than the eponymous "faces"of the manor (yes, they spoke like that round there). Millwall supporters to a man (not many women to be seen, either), this was the heart of National Front territory in those days"

NEW CROSS SE14 - DUKE OF ALBANY 


This pub was used In the film Shaun of The Dead and known in the film as The Winchester Arms.

DEPTFORD SE8 - THE THAMES aka The Rose & Crown 


Mark Goodwin writes: "The Thames was owned by an old bloke called Dennis who also owns The Hoy just round the corner with this son who now runs it. He thought he would sell up why the going was good, I noticed literally all the buildings surrounding The Thames are demolished but the pub still stands s I think its Grade II listed. They also used to have strippers in there at lunchtimes many a year ago. Apparently Waitrose are moving in on or around this site."

Tom writes: "I grew up in the rose and crown Deptford now called the thames. My dad ran it for about 10 years. I have tried to find out several times who wns the deads for the property but to no avail. 5 years ago I would have bought itbut now seems like a lost cause. Used to be a great pub in the 80’s. "

PLUMSTEAD SE18 - THE SHIP 


Russell writes: "The Ship in Plumstead Common reopened for a short time in the late 1990s as the Commoner's Rest, but closed shortly afterwards. It only lasted a few months when it reopened as the Ship once more in about 2000. I remember it as a pub which had the worst reputation for fights in the Plumstead Common area. It also had a stage for live acts but I don't remember seeing any there."

Deborah writes: "I can remember The Ship being a real punk hang out back in the day and they did have live bands on there in the early 80's"

Fizzy Panther writes: "Rough old place at times, one of the owners, I think his name was Jerry/Gerry was stabbed by a local resident one night, and the band carried on playing!!!!! They did indeed have live bands - 'The Boys', 'Mick and Kiwi', 'Yakety Yak' played here on a regular basis and they also had Karaoke, Discos and regularly held Hen and Stag nights there. They also had a talent contest in conjunction with a local newspaper - ran on for weeks - Plumstead's version of X-Factor but the prize was far less glamorous and generous. A couple called Vince and Eileen ran it for a time and then two guys from Bermondsey (Tony and Gregg I think their names were) ran it with a manager called 'Boots'. They had bouncers on the doors to try and filter out the troublemakers but you all know what booze (and yes, drugs) can do to perfectly rational adults on occasion! They had a late licence, if I remember correctly the bar used to stayed open until midnight on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday night - very rare in the 80s and early 90s! They also had live female strippers on a Sunday lunchtime, surprisingly it was always busy then!!!!The pub closed for a long while due to a series of drugs raids by our boys in blue from Plumstead Nick, and a cute little sniffer dog, I remember it well!!! It had for some years had a reputation as a well known drugs and trouble pub, but it was also one of the liveliest pubs in the area at the time, you can't have your cake and eat it too!!!"

SLADE GREEN DA8 - THE RAILWAY TAVERN


Slade Green was at on time one of the biggest and busiest railway depots in Britain, and at one time teeming with steam trains being shunted here and there. The Railway Tavern was obviously then a thriving public House. Southwark Council had intentions to develop it as a hostel for asylum seekers, but Bexley Council objected and it never happened.

Andy Johnson writes: "I used to go in there as an underage drinker with my father in the late 70s early 80s. It was a fairly friendly (despite what is said below) busy pub, with the usual assortment of geezers. One (I was not there thankfully) afternoon, somebody with a grudge against one of the regulars walked in and emptied a double-barrelled shotgun into him. If the stories are to be believed, most people just carried on drinking. Apparently the local police, when they arrived, were amazed that the entire pub, on a busy day had managed to all fit in the (small) gents toilets at the same time and, when the shooting happened."

WOOLWICH SE18 - THE STAR

The Star in Woolwich used to have strippers and was a great place for underage drinkers...

Vic Merson writes: "I remember attending a St Johns Ambulance function upstairs. It was full of medical bores, so my mate and I left early removing half the contents of the fusebox on the way out plunging them into semi-darkness......."

CHARLTON SE17 - THAMES BARRIER ARMS (Previously called The Lads of The Village) 

Now a vets! The sign on the corner edge says "Roebuck Arms" but Bev Smith explains that the pub was used in filming for an episode of the TV series "Londons Burning". So, the sign is just an abandoned prop....

GREENWICH SE10 - MILLERS 

This pub has been derelict for a good few years. the first pic was taken in 2005 and the others in late 2011

Gareth writes: "I remember Millers well from the mid 80’s when a group of us who worked in Lewisham at a company called Fisher Controls (now also long gone there’s a Tesco there!) regularly drank on Saturday nights in particular. There was loud music and at the time I think we mistakenly believed it was a great place to pick up girls. Still I have some happy memories of the place.  If I remember rightly the old Merryweather fire engine factory was very close (but that had closed by then)."

Richard writes: "Used to drink in the Millers regular most Thursdays around 93/94, always a good laugh, but my main recollection is of the DJ ALWAYS playing Nina Simones, My Baby Just Cares For Me at chucking out time!"

PURLEY CR2 - THE PROPELLOR 

Rob Buxton writes: "I grew up in Croydon and as a child in the early 70s I always enjoyed driving past thePropeller with my parents. The Propeller is on the same road as a building I knew as Imperial House – a grand building which was once the terminal building for the old Croydon Airport. I remember the Propeller being a well maintained pub (from the outside), but the main attraction for me was a huge propeller mounted on top of a tall post outside the pub and which acted as the pub sign. My dad used to tell me that the propeller was from a Spitfire that flew during the war; a story I believed for years. It saddens me to see the Propeller in such a sorry state."

WEST CROYDON - THE HALF MOON

Justin writes: "Having lived in Croydon most of my life this pub was a no go when i was younger. A while back thelandlord/owner put some money in the place and done a real good job of attracting a more broader crowd. My then girlfriend (now my wife),who lived near the pub, had a few good nights there.Sadly this was short lived as the pub was located in an area which has a very negative stigma for many reasons and closed down and was vandalised within days which just compounds this stigma."

BELLINGHAM SE6 - THE TIGERS HEAD 


An unusual closure of a JD Wetherspoon pub. I stumbled on a very uncomplimentary comment on the clientele: "Older chavs will visit the Tigers Head pub where every day of the week you can enjoy a couple of fights, a police raid, numerous flashes of boob (it is the only way the poor cows know how to pull a man and the only kind of signal the male chav will respond to) and don't forget a kebab for the journey home." Other lost 'Spoons that I can think of are the Rose and Crown in Wandsworth and the Moon Under Water in Chalk Farm/Camden though both these managed to carry on as pub houses post Spoon.

ELTHAM COMMON SE3 - THE WELCOME INN 


An"old-fashioned community pub" with the odd bit of live music (it held Status Quo's first ever gig!) later turned into a family "Harvester" restaurant/bar, It suffered a fire in approx 2006 and was internally completely gutted. Now been demolished to make way for flats.

MAZE HILL SE10 - THE OLD FRIENDS 


I randomly popped in here for a pint one afternoon and didnt hang around too long. A few Charlton fans were bragging about a preplanned ruck they had with Southampton fans at Maze Hill Station.This was quite high profile press coverage on this fight at the time. Perhaps they were bluffing but I didnt fancy cross examining them.....

A review on the net describes the place as a "Dire, chipboard pub for horrible old people and a dwindling number of punters from the estate behind. Chalk sign put up for St George's Day: "England, love it or leave it." If the Old Friends is England, I'm off."

SYDENHAM SE26 - THE GREYHOUND 


There has been an inn on this site since at least 1720. The oldest part of the current building at the rear is 18C.

The Greyhound Inn was used as a meeting place for local hunts. The greyhound was bred for hunting, using speed and keenness of sight. Until at least 1812 the Old Surrey Hounds would meet at the Greyhound. Trade was boosted with the building of the Croydon Canal, which operated between 1807 and 1836. The inn was a convenient meeting place for the directors of the company and provided refreshment for workmen who built the canal. In 1807 the inn had a boat and boat-house, as the landlord was accused of not allowing the boat to be used to rescue a man who had fallen into the canal reservoir and drowned. The man had been trying to retrieve a duck he had shot.

The poet Thomas Campbell lived locally & regularly used the Greyhound & believed to have entertained some of his distinguished visitors (who included Sir Walter Scott & Lord Byron) at the inn.

The pub closed in 2007 amidst planning proposals for 60-70 flats and then it caught fire whilst empty later that year. 

LEE GREEN, SE12 - THE NEW TIGERS HEAD 


The public house was built in the 18th century to service travellers moving from the Kent coast to Central London via Blackheath. The pub was frequently the centre of a frozen lake during the early 1800's when the River Quaggy regularly broke its banks and froze from January to June. Its busiest time was just before the Battle of Waterloo when for 3 weeks troops moved continuously from London to Dover via Lee Green.

Cath writes: "I know a group of lads who used to drink there when they were younger because it was one of the few places they could get served. One afternoon when they were all about 15 or 16, they went in and one went to the bar while the others sat down, and some of them started a game of pool. The one at the bar ordered the beers and the barman asked 'Busy day at the office, was it?' "

OVAL SE11 - THE CRICKETERS 

A great "toilet/transit van" circuit pub for bans in the 80's and 90's. More about this place under the Music section.

OVAL SE11 - THE SURREY TAVERN 


This pub was part of the Oval Cricket Ground complex. The modern-ish pub, seen here under demolition, sat right in front of the main building didnt really blend in with the rest of the architecture.

MAZE HILL SE10 - THE VICTORIA  


Was known locally as the "wooden house" many years ago, (known as the wooden house after the Luftwaffe blew the back end of the pub off with a doodle bug in the 2nd world war and it was lashed up with timber to keep it running). Recently demolished.

Rob Day writes: "Back in 1977 "The Vic" was the only pub in Greenwich where a 15-year-old male with spiky bleached hair and an earring could get served and not get his head kicked in, and the only pub in South London with a jukebox crammed with singles by then little-known punk acts like the Clash, Pistols, Stranglers, ATV, etc etc. The right hand bar was run by a guy called Harry who stocked the jukebox, and populated entirelyby underage drinkers (apart from Harry) sporting the latest Oxfam-couture. The left hand bar was run by a proper old school landlord who looked exactly like Mike Reid and was usually empty, but was beautifully fitted out with the original circular bar and a stained glass skylight at the back - not that I gave a shit at the time. Celebs in attendance at that time included members of Squeeze (including Jools Holland),Dire Straits and many other local bands who have quite rightly sunk without trace: Corduroy; Doctor and the Medics; Simon and the Virgins; the list goes on..."
Harry Rogers writes: (The Harry mentioned above): "The item on your site which refers to my bar (Harry's Bar) was not actually at the Queen Victoria .Harry's Bar was actually in the next pub along called The Bricklayers Arms which has since been gutted and renamed twice though I don't know what it was called. As for the clientele yes on certain nights the customers were quite young but on others they ranged from 16 to 60 and some great nights were had by all. To read more about the bar go to http://www.packetofthree.com where an interview with me will shortly be published."

EAST DULWICH, SE15 - THE OGLANDER 


On sale for £1.2 million. "This de-licensed pub has planning permission to be converted into seven substantial living spaces, comprising four two bedroomed flats, one three bedroomed flat, a one bedroomed flat and a studio. The property is well located with the shops, bars and restaurants on Lordship Lane close by."

WOOLWICH SE18 - MANCINIS (aka The Gatehouse) 


Originally built as quarters for Woolwich Dockyard officers and later used the police in 1778-84. Ian Pennington recalls visiting it over 10 years ago: "one of the group of us ordering some food, pie and chips probably, receiving it, then splashing some vinegar from a bottle on the table over it........the vinegar seemed to have dead fleas or creepy crawlies of some sort in it. And of course my mate only noticed this after he'd covered his chips with it. The pub ended its days as a gay haunt apparently."

CAMBERWELL SE5 - WILLIAM THE FOURTH 


A derelict pub has undergone an unusual transformation by a local arts project and covered in white camoflage material. The stuff used by the army when fighting in snow covered areas.

WOOLWICH SE18 - PRINCESS OF WALES

WOOLWICH SE18 -CROWN AND CUSHION 


The pub has recently been repainted allover white and received a wrap round advert for the Woolwich Arsenal development. There was a longstanding dispute with the council, who wanted to demolish the building, and local residents who want it saved as a reminder of the old Woolwich which has almost been obliterated. The developers got their way and the pub has now been demolished.

Andrea Thorne writes: "My husband and I used to be Managers/Landlords of the Crown & Cushion 1965-1967. We were the youngest publicans in London . Both of us being 20 years of age when we took over. It’s sad to see it in such a bad shape. I was back in the UK about 10 years ago and made a trip to the pub it hadn’t changed much.My daughter was born in the local hospital and spent her first year there in the flat above. I remember her getting very sooty from the power station smoke when I put her out in the back yard. We now live in the USA."

Deborah remembers this pub as a skinhead haunt in the early 80's.

Bev writes: " Regeneration??? More like weapons of mass destruction!"

GREENWICH SE10 - THE ROSE OF DENMARK 


I found an article in the Epping Forest Guardian which had a negative opinion of the Rose of Denmark! "The atmosphere inside the pub was one of ice-cold indifference. Various lone old men sat about with looks on their faces like the world was about to end. Decor-wise, things are looking really knackered.But the real killer is the service. the tone of the barmaid's verbal assault was similar to one employed by a mother chastising a misbehaving toddler."  UPDATE! Currently being refurbished - maybe as a pub!

LEE SE12 - THE ROYAL OAK 


Matt writes: "That was a great place to go for a drink at 1am, loads of young studenty types and a tiny back garden/window box that smelt of damp and skunk."

PECKHAM - THE ALLIANCE

The Alliance in Peckham was probably frequented by workers of the nearby coffin factory that used to be round the corner. this pub is adjacent to the Grand Surrey Canal basin where the wood was brought in by barge. The canal was infilled - for more info on the canal come on one of my guided walking tours :-) 
see: www.londonslostrivers.com 

ROTHERHITHE - CRYSTAL TAVERN 


This former pub, colourfully repainted and still made to look  like a pub from a distance though a few changes to the pub signage have been made by a local church group charity

GREENWICH - THE GREENWICH INN 


I stopped off here one evening and remember the friendly staff recommended this new lager which was quite tricky to pour correctly. They attempted to pour 3 pints  of it before they were happy that it was served the way it should be.It was a good pint but not worth the hassle...

This pint apparently was  Super Chilled Coors - the coldest beer available in the World .The Inn was featured on BBC's Tomorrows World when the beer was launched as it is chilled at sub zero and was only available at a limited number of outlets. I never saw it in any other pubs.

BERMONDSEY - THE QUEENS ARMS

Another 1860s pub recently closed down - I found this on a local forum: "my Father used to drink there and he used to send out a lemonade and a packet of Smiths Crisps with the salt wrapped in blue paper. I rember looking inside and seeing the floor was covered in sawdust, probably to soak up spilt beer and blood from the fights that went on' The pub, although being named The Queens Arms, was known as Larbys." Looking at a history database Larby was the original landlord back in 1869. 

CROYDON - THE DUKE OF YORK

Apparently undergoing conversion to... flats

SELHURST - SELHURST ARMS

Even the trade from the local Crystal Palace fans couldnt keep this pub alive


Below is a gallery of more South and South East London dead pubs