Fanny On The Hill, Plumstead, Welling

Local legend has it that the original pub (called the White Horse) was a hangout of highwaymen who took advantage of the pub’s isolated and lofty position as well as the landlady’s help in spotting potential targets. The current pub was rebuilt in 1957 to service the estate that has now grown up around the area and it was still called the White Horse until recently when the old Fanny on the Hill nickname became permanent (the Fanny in question is believed to be Anne Muirhead, a 19th Century landlady). Whilst the pub still commands a lofty perch, it is now surrounded by a housing estate from whom much of the customer base is drawn and judging by some of the dialogue challenged characters on my visit, the plunderers of yore probably seemed like members of the clergy. The exterior won’t exactly adorn many chocolate boxes and inside things are equally uninspiring. The largish single room has a central bar with a pool area off to the right and a host of sport orientated TVs (including 3 behind the bar alone). A brace of dart boards bookend the pub in their own little recesses and the presence of copious trophies suggest that pub games here are keenly contested. The entrance to the beer garden was blocked off so I didn’t manage to see if this would be a surprise asset and any chances of the pub having redemption in the beer selection was scuppered by a basic choice of standard kegs and the solitary ale (Bombardier) being off. Prices weren’t exactly budget either. Throw a few unchecked wayward brats into the mix and you have a pub that doesn’t exactly look to draw in visitors from far and wide.