Railway Bell, SE19

Rex Rattus sums it up perfectly,my Youngs Ordinary was in excellent form and the garden in summer is a delight.

This is a Young’s house, with Bitter, Special and Hogsback TEA on during my midweek lunchtime visit. I didn’t see any sign of food or menus. This is a fairly small classic backstreet boozer. The bar is at the front as you enter, stretching a short way back to the right. It’s carpeted, has a number of small, round, metal framed tables, small stools, banquettes and some normal chairs plus a few stools at the bar. The traditional 70s wrought iron bar gantry is there as well. As you would expect, there is a fair amount of railway related stuff on the walls, but most surprising to me is the apparent Liverpool FC connection. On the wall at the far end of the bar is a small brass plaque declaring it to be the “Kop End”, containing, at the very end of the bar, a stone football on a marble plinth dedicated to Liverpool FC, and photographs of Bill Shankly and other individuals dressed all in red. I also spotted a fish tank at the back, plus there was a TV on, but muted. There are a few outside tables and chairs to the side of the pub. The last time I was in here was when CPFC won the old 2nd Division title back in 1979, when it was somewhat more crowded than on my visit last week, when only three or four punters were in there. This is a genuine unspoilt backstreet pub, and is definitely worth a visit – as long as you don’t want anything pretentious or to be able to dine in a gastro-pub.

Randomness Guide to London - Railway Bell entry

Randomness Guide to London - Railway Bell entry