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Poll for Lancaster crawl June /July 2026 with Bucking Fastard
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Detail Pages
The Woodman, Southgate, N13
N13
N13 4BD
Pub Type
Leased (Marstons)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Tris C left this review about The Woodman
Situated just to the south-west of Grovelands Park in a part of North London punctuated by large – some very large – houses, this pub dates as a cottage from 1727, converted to a pub in 1868, according to CAMRA and the pub’s website.
There seems to have been much done here, certainly since 1868, with a huge bolt-on conservatory and as mentioned, a substantial recent redevelopment, which sees the floor executed on multiple levels, flush downlighters to the ceiling with recessed aircon units for company. With no obvious sign of heritage, the interior can be seen on the Cinemascope film on their website (and my photo), but if you’ve ever been to a modern Young’s/Fuller’s/Brunning & Price gaff, you’ll know what to expect; several uncleared tables with crisp packets lent a certain Wetherspoon’s touch to proceedings; other tables were laid exclusively for dining.
Aside from the child gliding past me on a silver scooter at 9.40pm, customers were mixed age and probably all local to the area’s address, no doubt a snapshot of The Bourne identity.
The cask front amounted to ELB’s Cowcatcher (pint glass on the pump), TTL, Pride, then Portobello Star, pretty good and £5.70 a pint, payment made to a card reader that wasn’t wireless, meaning I had to stretch to reach over other customers to get my card near to it.
Not being a fan of predictable over-the-top pseudo upmarket conversions, I see little reason to return; a decent pint has resulted in a score of ‘4’ and not ‘3’. Though far from perfect, the neighbouring Cherry Tree is the one to visit.
On 12th April 2026
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2324 recommendations about 2267 pubs]
Steve of N21 left this review about The Woodman
After being closed for over a year, The Woodman finally reopened in early February and the renovation and remodelling is extensive.
It is now a smart food led pub which you enter from the car park, not from the road that you used to You enter into the long central bar with the restaurant section to the left in the large back extension out to the garden and the more pubby lounge sections to the right in what was the original pub building and conservatory. Slightly surprised that they kept the thoughtless conservatory that was bolted on by Marston’s in a previous make over, but at least it has been tarted up and now feels that it is part of the pub.
A month in and it is already building a solid reputation for the kitchen, but I was pleasantly surprised to see four hand pumps on the bar with the selection mentioned below and tried both the Portobello Star and the ELB Cowcatcher, both in good condition.
Situated next to the main entrance to the popular Grovelands Park this has always been a pub that had a lot of potential, that was never realised under Marston’s. Hopefully the Heartwood Inns group will be able to be successful with it.
On 16th March 2026
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2340 recommendations about 2186 pubs]
David Walton left this review about The Woodman
Visited 10/03/26
Cask here was Portobello Star British Bitter, East London Brewing Co Cowcatcher APA, TT LL and LPride. Keg options were Cornish Orchards cider, Camden Hells, Guinness, Neck Oil, Cruz, Peroni, Asahi, Lucky Saint.
Newly re-opened venue and now part of the Heartwood Inns group. The venue is bare boarded throughout apart from a tile skirt around the bar counter which is on the right-hand wall in the middle of the multi room / multi seating area pub. Seating around the bar counter is via a leather banquette on the left-hand wall serving a couple of tall tables with tall stools the other side thereof. There is a single tall table with tall stools to its side. Beyond the bar counter is a seating area of several tables laid for diners served by a fabric banquette and regular chairs nicely upholstered. Further round is a larger dining area with quite a lot of densely packed regular tables and chairs. There are a few seating areas off the other side of the bar counter with regular tables served by benches, banquettes, and regular chairs, one of the seating areas is down a couple of steps and looking over the side of the pub, which is adequately served by parking spaces at the side and presumably rear. It is nicely done, background music, but predominately a destination for diners as is generally the case with this group. There is some outside seating at the front and left-hand side and then more materially via a rear beer garden.
On 15th March 2026
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1590 recommendations about 1565 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Woodman
Just been sold by Marstons to Heartwood Inns, who have recently also purchased the currently closed Prince of Wales in East Barnet and The Royal Forest in Epping Forest.
Will now presumably be closed for a while whilst an extensive refit takes place.
On 31st July 2024
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2340 recommendations about 2186 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Komakino . left this review about The Woodman
Changed hands and now a pub in transition. The internal layout remains the same, although the new tenants have decided to rescind the old framed photos of the pub back onto the walls. No real ale, despite three pumps. Five kegs offered beers from a local brewery (I didn't make a note of the name - shame on me). A pub in flux - hopefully temporarily - with potential to be a lot better.
On 23rd September 2018
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1098 recommendations about 1098 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Woodman
This is an early Victorian roadside pub, that's apparently been converted from a couple of cottages. But it's now nothing like the small pub it must once have been, as a conservatory has been built on to the left, and it's also been expanded to the back as well. There's a garden at the back. The old pub area as you enter reminds you of a country pub - a very low ceiling and a nice fireplace. Furnishings are mainly normal tables and chairs, with a bit of bench seating. The decor didn't seem up to much - we spotted some prints on the walls, most of which were designs of random objects like dolls houses and turntables. Most odd; not seen the like before.
There were three handpumps - two unclipped and the third dispensing Pedigree (£1.95 a half, and not in particularly good condition). They obviously do food, but I didn't see a menu. It seemed a bit of a dull and lifeless place when we visited early evening on a weekday just after Christmas. It seemed a bit flat, but maybe that was just us. Maybe at another time it would be a very different place.
On 9th January 2017
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2621 recommendations about 2535 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Woodman
The Woodman is a solid pub in the Southgate / Winchmore Hill area bordering Grovelands Park, which usually serves a decent pint, and was actually quite famous several years ago for being one of the smallest watering holes with a London post code, until commercial forces made them extend the area of the pub quite significantly.
The original brick building was built in the early 1800's as a private house before turning into a pub in about 1870.
This building still survives as the small front bar, but the total pub is now a larger second bar behind and a decent conservatory on the side for a dining area.
There is also a garden out back with a large childrens play area with climbing frame which means, due to the pubs close proximity to the nearby Grovelands park its a good spot for fathers to bring the kids for a quick after park pint, but does mean the garden can be like a creche in the summer months.
Although I have had a couple of decent Sunday roasts in the conservatory, that was a quite few years ago, so cannot really give an up to date input. But for me the Woodman will always be at its strongest on a cold Winters evening, when you can tuck yourself into one of the bars with a decent pint of Pedigree or Youngs..
On 11th June 2009
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2340 recommendations about 2186 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Strongers . left this review about The Woodman
I quite like this pub with its three seating sections and separate bars front and back. The barman was polite and the drinks on offer were Young's Special, Marston's Pedigree, Marston's Smooth, Banks's Bitter, Stella, Carling, Guinness and Kronenburg. I did find it a little dark inside, but then I had just walked in from blazing sunshine.
There is a small grassed area to the side of the pub with a few benches in and a much larger garden to the rear with a children's play area (both of which close at 21:00 by request of the council). Maybe on the wrong day it could turn into a bit of a crèche, but it was fine whilst I was there. To the right of the beer garden there is the ‘Smoker's Inn' which is a covered wooden structure for those rainy days.
I really liked it here and would go back if I was passing.
On 8th May 2008
- rating: 7
[User has posted 6626 recommendations about 6588 pubs]