The Castle, Walthamstow, E17

Visited 22/04/26 Cask here was a hand pump dispensing TT Golden Best and a non-functional hand pump. Keg offering of Cruz, Beavertown Lunar Haze, Brixton Atlantic APA, Staro, Murphy's Irish Stout, Moretti, Neck Oil and Orchard Thieves cider. L shaped bare boarded venue with the bar counter following the internal shape of the venue in the rear left-hand corner. Tall stool seating at the front facing side of the bar counter and regular tables in front of and to the side of the bar counter. Some picnic bench seating out the front of the venue. Nothing particularly noteworthy about the venue other than it is simple and pleasant. There is regular live piano based music.

A sizable backstreet corner pub, Its a single room with plenty of seating which were all full up with young family's complete with children and pushchairs, oh dear. It is very gastro but a half decent beer selection helped, Purity Mad Goose, ELB Night Watchman and Darkstar Hophead. Its Ok for a beer here but I'm not likely to rush back too soon.

Only a five minute or so walk from the King William 1V and on route to Walthamstow village, so not to be missed. The pub was quiet on our Monday afternoon mini crawl, which was to be expected. This large corner pub was very inviting on approach and once through the doors, we headed to the facing bar, which had a dark blue painted front and a pine counter. I was pleased to see they had four handpumps in operation, so we went for the ELB Foundation Bitter and the New River Brewery London Tap. Both beers were in great shape and tasted superb, so all in all another bonus pub to Walthamstow.

The Castle is a decent looking pub that is situated in the posh part of Walthamstow. Once inside there is a single L shaped room with the bar facing,the room is bare boarded,the seating is normal tables and chairs to the front and leather settees to the rear right. There were three real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Dark Star Hop head which was a very nice drink,the other beers were Hackney american Pale Ale and ELB Foundation Bitter. Decent background music was playing and board games are available,food is also available. I quite liked here even though it is a gastro type pub. Pub visited 21/3/2015

Official site of The Castle - www.thecastlee17.com

Official site of The Castle - www.thecastlee17.com

This place is essentially unchanged since the previous reviewer’s visit, and doesn’t need describing again by me. When I was in at Wednesday lunchtime they had on Sambrook Wandle (£3.60 a pint), Jennings Cumberland, Timothy Taylor Landlord, and Adnam’s Broadside. One pump was unclipped, and a sixth offered mulled wine at £2, which was presumably an advert for the contents of the adjacent cauldron. Despite menus on the outside wall and chalkboards inside the pub offering a full range of dishes, the only food available at lunchtime was some parsnip soup and a stew of some kind. It’s definitely child friendly. When I was in the pub was suffering from an infestation of noisy pre-walking age infants. One the one hand it’s good to see children being inculcated into the pub experience at an early age as it will obviously lead them to be more rounded individuals as they grow up, but on the other it doesn’t offer the quiet and relaxing pint that I prefer. But you can’t blame pubs for grabbing any business they can get to ensure their survival. Unlike most pubs, it may become a more relaxing place in the evenings. My pint of Wandle was in good nick though.