The Hope in Carshalton – Worth a try
By Bill Lacy
There are many ways to select which pubs are the best, and everyone will have their own favourites. But perhaps the most definitive list is that compiled by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), which celebrates 50 years of the “Good Beer Guide” this year.
There is a focus on real ale, of course, but it also considers a pub’s history, architecture, facilities, community value and atmosphere. Of 4,500 pubs nationwide pubs listed in the guide, 113 are in south London.
Here the South London Press takes a look at five of the best, all of which received special awards in the Good Beer Guide 2023.
Eagle Ale House (Battersea)
A real gem of a pub and a welcome retreat from the busy Northcote Road, with its array of trendy shops and bars.
This, by contrast, is a throwback of a pub; friendly, traditional and cosy.
There’s live music and a heated garden, but head here for the quality beer – a range of cask options, with some continental classics, too.
It’s worth the walk from Clapham Junction railway station, but don’t refer to this as a Clapham pub – the boundaries police will tell you this belongs to Battersea.
The Hope (Carshalton)
I last went here as it was the local pub to Carshalton football club – my football companions were in for a surprise as this was no mere convenient pit stop; it is a famous real ale pub.
I regularly travel over an hour to get here. Situated a minute away from Carshalton railway station and in the London borough of Sutton, it serves an exemplary choice of cask and keg beers from all over the country.
The Hope has a friendly, intimate feel – it is literally owned by the community who raised the funds to save it from closure and transformed it into something magical.
Such a delight to come here for a few marvellous pints and one of their signature pot meals.
River Ale House (Greenwich)
A place that needs seeking out, located on the main road between Greenwich and Charlton.
This fairly modest former shop is more than the sum of its parts – it has won multiple awards and inspired a cult following.
If one wonders why this is at first, it isn’t a wonder once you spend some time here.
A bastion of real ale types, with the pints pulled by ‘gravity’ in a chilled room behind the main, small bar, its family feel nevertheless draws in all types to enjoy its amiable, laid-back atmosphere.
One Inn the Wood (Petts Wood)
This part of London is dotted with micropubs, and this is the first and one of the best of this unique breed of pub.
Opened in 2014 and located near the railway station, it has won several CAMRA awards.
The ‘wood’ is a large backdrop on the left-hand wall. A perfect place to enjoy a few pints.
Long Haul (Bexleyheath)
Amid the wreckage of closed pubs caused by the pandemic, every pub that opened during these tough times was a success.
For a pub to then flourish is a special triumph indeed.
This former tattoo parlour opened in August 2020, serving an array of ales, particularly those from Kent, and is another award-winner in the micropub category.
A great addition to an area not known for its slew of great pubs.
Special mentions
The CAMRA Guide has been the definitive pub guide for half a century.
But here is an accolade almost as prestigious: SLP’s “special mentions” of South London pubs that feature in the Good Beer Guide 2023:
Lord Clyde (Borough); Royal Oak (Borough); Waterloo Tap (Waterloo); Dog and Bell (Deptford); Park Tavern (Eltham); Plume of Feathers (Greenwich); Mayflower (Rotherhithe); Blythe Hill Tavern (Forest Hill); Star and Garter (Bromley); Golden Ark (Selsdon); Star Tavern (Belgravia); Cask Pub and Kitchen (Pimlico); Sambrook’s Brewery Tap (Wandsworth); Sultan (South Wimbledon).
Picture: Bill Lacy
