London Pubs Group

Campaign for Real Ale

Campaign for Real Ale

Wickham Arms

69 Upper Brockley Road
Brockley
SE4 1TF

Although this pub is not a listed building, it is on the Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) Local Inventory with an interior of local historic interest, and the description is as follows: "This pub, situated in a fairly opulent suburban street in South London, is a rather tired-looking estate pub in an elegant mid-19th century building (Built 1853). The current proprietor took over the pub in 2007 and announced an extensive programme of refurbishment and redecoration; most of the changes have not to date (2019) taken place.

There is one large bar with a rectangular, peninsular counter built out from the back wall of the pub opposite the main entrance. A second room behind the main bar contains a pool table. This single storey extension seems to have been built in the 1990s, a planning application from 1997 suggesting that it replaced an earlier games room which was demolished.

The canted main bar counter has a wooden top below which is cream-painted, fielded panelling. The panelling on the front and right hand side of the counter appears to date from the interwar period; that on the left hand side of the counter seems to be much newer. As well as the usual access door and flap, there is a (now closed) hinged door below the counter which might have provided access to a bank of pumps which has since been removed. The bar back appears to be inter-war. A large polygonal alcove to the left of the bar may have been constructed as a snug (the exterior of the building suggests that, although old, this extension might have been constructed later than the main building). This alcove contains wooden fixed seating with floral motifs. The bar area is panelled throughout to picture rail level. The wooden panelling is painted dark brown to the left of the bar and cream to the right, and is of uncertain age.

There are three entrance doors to the main bar – a main, double door and a single door with vestibule to the front of the pub, and a single door on the left hand wall (as viewed from the front). A fourth door on the left hand wall has now been bricked up. This suggests the existing bar was originally divided into three or more rooms (one of which might have been an off-sales area), but it is now impossible to detect where these divisions might have been. There are four ceiling roses containing pendant lights. Some sash windows contain patterned frosted glass.

The rear pool room is painted red above dado level, with modern brown painted panelling below. An exterior door leads to the rear garden. This room does not contain a servery."

The WhatPub link is here: WhatPub/Wickham Arms

The Wickham Arms has yet to feature on a LPG pub tour.