Barking up the Becontree: London Pubs Group daytime pub crawl of Ilford, Goodmayes, Becontree and Barking
Saturday 20 October 2012

This historic pub crawl takes you round a collection of historic twentieth century pubs in East London.

A text version of the crawl notes is here: Daytime Crawl of Ilford, Goodmayes, Becontree and Barking

1. Cauliflower

Address: 553 High Road, Ilford, IG1 1TZ
Arrive: 12 noon
Listed building: no
London's Real Heritage Pub: yes

London's Real Heritage Pubs are pubs that are featured on CAMRA's London Regional Inventory of Pub Interiors of Special Historic Interest

Architectural features:
A vast edifice some way out of the centre on the main road east out of Ilford. It dates from the great pub boom around 1900 and still has the vestiges of a truly wonderful interior. The imposing frontage is more or less symmetrical and, stylistically, is a revival of architecture from around 1600.

Real ales:
Caledonian Flying Scotsman is usually available here.

Read more on the Cauliflower, Ilford

Directions to next pub:
Turn left out of the pub and walk to the pedestrian crossing. Cross over High Road and walk down Highbury Gardens to the junction with Green Lane. Turn right and walk along Green Lane to the bus stop called South Park Drive, Goodmayes. Catch a 128 or 150 bus to the stop called Goodmayes Lane Lord Napier. Alight from the bus and walk to...

2. Lord Napier

(This pub is currently closed)

Address: 521 Green Lane, Goodmayes, IG3 9RH
Arrive: 1pm
Listed building: no
London's Real Heritage Pub: no

Architectural features:
Possibly early 20th-century building with a pleasing double-gabled red brick and stone frontage. Sadly the exterior of the ground floor storey has been painted over. It has a largely opened-up interior with some decorative elements in a restrained neo-Classical style, such as the carved wooden pediment over the bar-back, the carved wooden pineapples on the metal and wooden railing (apparently fifteen or more pineapples), and the stained glass entrance lobbies and baffles.

Real ales:
Fullers London Pride and Greene King Abbot are usually available here.

Read more on the Lord Napier, Goodmayes

Directions to next pub:
On leaving the pub, turn left and walk along Green Lane to the junction with Goodmayes Road. Cross over Goodmayes Road, turn left and walk up Goodmayes Road to the bus stop. Catch a 364 bus to the junction of Wood Lane, Porters Avenue and Parsloes Avenue. Alight from the bus and walk along Wood Lane to...

3. Cherry Tree

Address: Cherry Tree, Wood Lane, Becontree, RM8 3LJ
Arrive: 2.30pm
Listed building: no
London's Real Heritage Pub: no

Architectural features:
The pub has a two-roomed interior. The left-hand room is accessible but seems unused. It is unusual in that it has a sort of gallery. However, the stained glass looks like a modern addition.

Real ales:
Sharps Doom Bar is usually served here.

Read more on the Cherry Tree, Becontree

Directions to next pub:
Turn left out of the pub and walk along Wood Lane to the pedestrian crossing. Cross over Wood Lane, turn right and walk along Wood Lane to the bus stop called Beverley Road. Catch a 5 bus to the stop called Lodge Avenue. Alight from the bus, cross over Longbridge Road, turn right and walk along Longbridge Road to the junction with Becontree Avenue. Cross over Becontree Avenue, turn left and walk along Becontree Avenue to the bus stop called Longbridge Road. Catch a 368 bus to the stop called Porters Avenue. Alight from the bus and walk to...

4. Roundhouse

Address: The Roundhouse, Lodge Avenue, Becontree, RM8 2HY
Arrive: 3.45pm
Listed building: no
London's Real Heritage Pub: yes

Architectural features:
This daunting pub near the western edge of the vast Becontree Estate was built in 1936. It has a most unusual design, the work of specialist pub architect, Alfred W Blomfield. As the name suggests the ground plan is round and on top of this there sits a T-shaped upper storey with a bulky square tower in the centre.

Real ales:
No real ale is served here.

Read more on the Roundhouse, Becontree

Directions to next pub:
On leaving the pub, retrace your steps to the bus stop called Porters Avenue and catch a 368 bus to the stop called Barking Abbey. You will need to leave the Roundhouse by 4.15pm at the latest to get to the next pub on time. Alight from the bus, walk to the junction with London Road and cross over London Road to...

5. White Horse

(This pub is currently closed.)

Address: White Horse, London Road, Barking, IG11 8JE
Arrive: 4.45pm
Listed building: no
London's Real Heritage Pub: no

Architectural features:
It is a three-roomed detached pub, possibly 1950s, with faux ornate plasterwork in the rear room and the public bar. Two fine original fireplaces remain and the two portholes at the front strike a very "moderne" note.

Real ales:
No real ale is served here.

Read more on the White Horse, Barking

Directions to next pub:
Cross over London Road then walk down North Street to the junction with Axe Street. Turn left into Axe Street and walk along Axe Street to...

6. Victoria

Address: The Victoria, Axe Street, Barking, IG11 7LZ
Arrive: 5.30pm
Listed building: no
London's Real Heritage Pub: no

Architectural features:
A post-war building in a classic domestic style with two bars. There is some fine wooden diagonal panelling on the bar counter and longitudinal fielded panelling on the walls.

Real ales:
Brakspear Bitter is usually available here.

Read more on the Victoria, Barking

The Regional Inventory descriptions in these notes are extracts from the following book
London Heritage Pubs: An Inside Story

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