The Farmhouse, SE9

This pub was built in 1956 to serve the surrounding estate, but the exterior looks nothing like your typical estate pub. For a start, there's a large grassed area in front of it, and the design of it suggests a barn-like structure with its high-vaulted sloping roof and rough wood panelling on the sides at each end. Clearly its name, and design, were intended to invoke the countryside. Inside the layout is fairly tyipical of a post-war pub. On the right you have what was the saloon bar, which has a parquet floor; and on the left the carpeted public bar, which contains a dartboard. Sandwiched between the two was a jug and bottle bar, which has now been incorporated into the public bar. It's very unusual to see a pub these days that still has two completely separate rooms. Throughout the pub the walls have wood panelling to three quarter height, and with fluted trimmings. The bar counters are all original, with simple matchboard fronts; each room has a wood-framed large porthole window; and some of the simple frosted glazing in the doors and windows still survives, although much has been lost to breakage over the years. Furnishings are simple normal tables and chairs - there's nothing gastro or pretentious in here. Unfortunately there's no real ale - I had a pint of some Greene King keg hoppy beer (they probably describe it as "craft") for £3.70. It wasn't bad, but a decent ale would be a massive plus. I didn't see any sign of food during my weekday lunchtime visit; it just didn't seem that sort of place. There was a very friendly bunch of locals in, who, together with the landlady, told me what they knew of the history of the pub. I found this a very friendly and welcoming pub. It's worth visiting this pub if you want to step back 60 years or so to see what a pub of that time looked like, but probably not worth it just for the beer.