The Bugle Horn, Charlton, SE7

Official site of The Bugle Horn - buglehornpub.com

Official site of The Bugle Horn - buglehornpub.com

Originally 3 cottages, this 17th Century pub stands in the heart of Charlton Village is Grade II listed although very little of the original buildings remain following a major fire in 1922 and severe bomb damage during the war. It was last renovated in 1972 but does at least retain a bit of Olde Worlde character even if most of what can be seen is fake Brewery Tudor. On match days the pub naturally gets rammed and it is home fans only. Outside of match day, this is probably the most attractive and appealing of the pubs in the Charlton area. The walls are dominated by Charlton memorabilia, signed shirts (including Chris Powell’s England shirt) and old team photos although all it does appear a bit messy in places and not particularly well displayed. The low ceilings, dim lighting and open fires create a fairly tranquil and intimate ambience although this is often ruined by the loud and usually coarse language of the locals displaying their vocal limitations. There are at least 4 TVs plus a big screen with sport naturally being the main usage. One end contains a sofa area whilst the other has a dining section separated by a few beams and pillars. Not a very interesting selection of beers with Youngs Ordinary (£2.80) and Bombardier (Off) being the ales with a further unused pump on my last visit. The quality and availability have always been an issue but they have always been happy to replace any pints deemed substandard without any quibbles. The pub caters for the unfussy but despite its shortcomings, it is one of the better options in the area but a better and more consistant beer selection would be a vast improvement as well as some kind of acceptable language policy.