Faltering Fullback, N4

This is an impressive, multiple room, back street boozer that was packed for a televised Euro 2024 football fixture and therefore very difficult to properly explore. The bar appears to be spread across two rooms - a wedge shaped space on the street corner and a much smaller side room with its own entrance. There's also a back room with no TV screens which offered a quieter space for those not interested in the match and a large room to the rear full of benches, which caters to larger events and is presumably useful on match days, when the place doubtless gets packed when Arsenal are at home. The whole pub has a nice traditional feel, with bare boards throughout, a traditional servery, walls painted in darker shades with muted lighting which creates a nice ambiance and loads of random decor. Lots of this is rugby related, but there's also plenty of football memorabilia on display and all manner of stuff has been hung from the ceiling in the main bar. Items of note include bicycles, large bookcases, lots of breweriana, an ancient looking telephone, movie and music posters, decorative plants, a globe drinks cabinet and massive collections of bottles, jugs, ceramics, earthenware and the like. Lots of TV screens were showing the aforementioned match with the sound just about audible. It would've been great to explore fully at a quieter time, as it seems there is a vast amount to discover across the various rooms. Three operational handpulls were dispensjng Sharps Solar Wave (£5.60 a pint), Fullers London Pride and a rhubarb cider, with the Solar Wave turning out to be in pretty good condition. The bar staff were very efficient in dealing with the large volume of customers, but it was difficult to reach the bar due to the awkward layout of the main bar area, so efficiency gains were lost to bar blockers and a general inability to get close enough to place your order. This struck me as a really interesting pub with lots going for it and I definitely enjoyed my relatively short visit. The beer options certainly wouldn't be a reason to return, but I left here feeling like I had unfinished business, having only really been able to scratch the surface of what the pub has to offer. I liked this one and will have take sure I return at a quieter time so I can try and take everything in properly. Date of visit - 21st June 2024

A great looking pub internally as describeed by Ian and Tris below but was left a little disappointed by the average beer selection, Pride, Landlord and Sharps Atlantic, the TT Landlord was OK but at £5.60 a pint I won't be rushing back.

On first visit impressions, this is an absolutely cracking pub. Ignored by the 2022 CAMRA GBG in preference for the Brave Sir Robin (later visited), I was only aware of its presence from the London Pubs Facebook Group. Its slightly off the main road and with all the topiary camouflage, you may not noticed it! It got something for everyone.... two lovely front bars - with ceiling mounted nick nacks. Looked a proper pub. Good beer - TT Landlord at an eye watering £5.60 but in great condition. Think London Pride was also on. Huge sports room with high ceiling, loads of benches, all facing the big screens. Bet its amazine when there is a big game on. As you would expect, Rugby. Go involved in a long and interesting conversation with a local pub enthusiast. Everything was pleasant about my visit. Would love to come back.

Built in the mid-19th century as the Sir Walter Scott, the exterior sports a good surviving example of a red and gold illuminated Courage box sign, just visible projecting from the foliage. Inside, and it’s clearly an Irish pub with a rugby theme, hence the name. The interior is well described and photographed on CAMRA’s heritage website (likewise the pub’s own), for this has an interior of Regional Importance. There’s a fantastic field panelled ceiling from which a multitude of knickknacks dangle, a bit like the interior of the Hemingford; Daniel Radcliffe has filmed here too. There are framed prints to the walls, as well as framed rugby shirts. The front bar is essentially a very attractive place to drink or should be. The problem here is that, as mentioned, it’s very dark in here with light mainly coming from the TV as well as the illuminated fisheyes affixed to the forest of unattractive drinks’ founts, like giant chrome stalagmites rising from the bar, partially obscuring the view of the barman. Further light comes from candles stuck into JD bottles on each of the exclusively high tables. The next room has furniture of conventional height, where lighting is less dazzling due to the lack of a TV and fewer fisheyes. Beyond, is a very large room, a bit like a canteen or refectory with open kitchen but otherwise quite plain, where live music is played. What I really wanted to explore though, was the garden, which is one of London’s most famous, having the nickname of the ‘Ewok Village’ – it’s a bit like a sketch by M. C. Escher: you walk up to one level, walk down to another, then up two and so on; it’s real maze but worth the effort; waiters navigated it with aplomb, despite carrying trays of Thai food. A rather ordinary ale range though at least three, with Sharp’s Atlantic, Pride and Landlord, on good form but at a painful £5.50. This is certainly worth a visit if only to admire the garden, but the lighting in the otherwise lovely front bar makes it a place where I wouldn’t want to linger; one for the summer months, perhaps.