The Old Wheatsheaf, Enfield

Situated virtually opposite Enfield Chase Station is The Old Wheatsheaf, a pub that, in a small poster on the station platform, describes itself as a “Victorian pub with modern standards”. An attractive frontage features curved bay windows and glazed bricks. Etched glass in a door indicates that the pub had a “jug and bottle” department for off sales. The main bar features a fine fireplace with decorative Art Nouveau tiling and a fine ornate mantelpiece. The pub features in CAMRA’s book of London Heritage Pubs. It’s a comfortable carpeted bar with something of an old fashioned pubby feel. A smaller, cosier, separate bar with its own entrance, in what appears to be an extension to the original building, has much light pine wood panelling and is decorated with pictures of old Enfield. Despite being smaller, this bar was evidently more popular with an enthusiastic crowd of locals watching the England v Italy Six Nations game. Beers on were Doom Bar, Ringwood Best, Greene King IPA and Black Sheep, a beer that one doesn’t seem to come across so much nowadays when compared with a few years ago. The Black Sheep - £ 3.00p – was pretty good. The pub has had a number of CAMRA Good Beer Guide listings over the years, but isn’t in the current 2011 Edition. Worth dropping in for one if in the area

The Old Wheatsheaf is a traditional two room pub just slightlyout of Enfield Town on Windmill Hill. It is still a traditional Public and Saloon bar set up, both rooms having their own entrance doors. The lower bar (as the public is known to locals due to the pub being built on the slope of the hill) has recently been done up, as it was beginning to look tired and worn. The refurbishment has certainly improved it and it is now a lot more welcoming and not so cluttered as some of the seating has been removed, and there is not much to choose between that and the upper bar now. Both rooms have a fireplace and now have flat screen tele’s , which wasn’t always the case. Both bars support four handpumps with the same beers on and the pub is a GBBG regular as the ale is usually very good. However it is pricey and it still remains one of the more expensive places in Enfield for a pint. I still prefer the smaller upper bar as this has more of a homely feel to it, even with the big plazma over the door way to the toilets. As it was when I escaped the post Christmas sales last week for a pint. The beers on were Ringwood Best, Adnams Broadside, Doombar and GK IPA, and the Ringwoods was a well kept pint.

Randomness Guide to London - Old Wheatsheaf entry

Randomness Guide to London - Old Wheatsheaf entry

I popped in here late last Saturday night and was informed that there was a problem in the cellar and no draught products were available leaving Bombardier, Pedigree and Greene King IPA along with bottles. I was a little disappointed as I had been on Guinness all night, but the Pedigree was an ok substitute. There are two separate bars, both of which have plasma screens and the ability to show Sky Sports. VH1 classic was playing on them during my visit and the pub has a late license until midnight at the weekend. There is a covered outside area to the left of the pub and a beer garden to the rear. I picked a bad time to visit here, but I still liked it and I will go back again when next in Enfield.