Bricklayers Arms, Bromley

The Bricklayers Arms is a nice looking pub that is a short walk from Bromley South train station. Once inside i went into a U shaped room which looked quite smart,it is carpeted and has bench seating to the front right and normal tables and chairs elsewhere. The pub is a Shepherd Neame tied house,so i was very happy doing this pub,there were three real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Master Brew which went down very well,the other beers were Whistable Bay and a seasonal beer called Amber Ale. There was a TV showing the rugby,the pub was very busy on my late Saturday afternoon visit. I thought this pub was well worth a visit,but i am very biased to Shepherd Neames pubs. Pub visited 14/2/2015

Well-maintained Shepherd Neame pub originally comprising two separate buildings by the look of things. Two bars - a smaller one inside front door, and a rather larger lounge to the side. Traditional furniture and plain but attractive decor. Three handpumps in each bar, offering MasterBrew, Spitfire and a decent Late Red (£3.55). Overall, quite a comfortable place for a pint.

This is a large Shepherd Neame pub on one of the main roads leading into Bromley and just a short walk from Bromley South train station. The pub is split between two rooms which are on separate levels. The lower level has a small raised seating area at the front and a dartboard on the rear wall and is fairly smartly decorated, making it a popular spot when I visited on a Saturday evening. Steps lead up to the main bar area which has a carpeted lounge feel to it. There are standard tables and chairs with flowers in old swing top bottles on each table. The walls are half paneled with some sections painted an odd pinkish colour that seemed to match the polo shirts of several customers. As you move through towards the rear of the pub, there is a tiled floor area with some comfy chairs and loads of Sheps adverts on the walls and beyond this is the pleasant covered patio which has a rather impressive gallery area up a flight of stairs. TV screens in the pub were showing darts to no-one in particular and music was playing at a surprisingly sensible volume. Three Shepherd Neame beers were available on my visit – Master Brew, Spitfire and Whitstable Bay (£3.60) – and my pint of the latter went down pretty well. I had a good stroll round the pub and I think I was the only person not drinking lager or wine. Like a lot of Sheps pubs in London, this is a fairly average affair with passable beer in reasonable surroundings. The fact that this is one of Bromley’s top pubs is more a reflection of the poor standard of competition than a glowing endorsement of the pub itself.

Situated a few minutes walk south of the main shopping area, the Brick (as it appears to be locally known) is probably best known to non-locals as a stop by on the way to the football ground in Hayes Lane. The pub appears to have at some time been extended into the next building but the original late Victorian corner pub is still very discernable and has a few classic pub exterior features, including the curved corner (although the original entrance has sadly been moved). Shepherd Neame have appended their “Britains Oldest Brewer” to the facia in large bold letters at roof level. Internally, the joins between the two buildings are quite noticeable by remants of dividing walls that conveniently split the pub into two with a central bar. There are various sections on split levels including the “Spitfire” bar in the lower end containing displays old Shepherd Neame posters and a barrage of wartime displays, photos and postage stamps. Elsewhere there are the usual nick nacks and old photos (including a corner dedicated to past boxers). To the rear is an unusual courtyard featuring a 2 storey wooden open sided covered drinking hut for want of a better description. The ales were naturally from the Shepherd Neame range but the selection wasn’t particularly extensive with just Master Brew, Early Bird and Porter available and at £3.45 for the latter, ridiculously overpriced albeit decent enough quality. Whilst the pub isn’t the most essential pub around to visit it seems to be a safe enough haven away from the nightmare that Bromley town centre can be and I wouldn’t have any qualms popping in if passing by in the future