Duke Of Gloucester, Selhurst, Croydon

By the time you read this review, this pub will be closed and perhaps even demolished, as the brewery have sold the property to developers who intend to replace it with a block of nine flats. My first and last visit here came just a few days before last orders were called for the final time and I found an empty pub (save for the landlord and his dog) which was already starting to look closed as bits had already been removed or packed away in anticipation. The simple, single room interior had quite a bit of charm, with exposed beams and brickwork aplenty and nice carpet and banquette seating throughout. A dartboard still remained in one corner and the jukebox and TV were still operational. There were two hand pumps at the bar, one of which had Greene King IPA, the other remaining unclipped. A chilled, keg version of the IPA was also available alongside a typical lager range. The landlord seemed fairly philosophical about the demise of his pub and it was certainly an unusual experience having a drink whilst the landlord fielded calls about the sale of his stock. Perhaps not the greatest loss to Croydon’s pub scene (I doubt most Croydoners know of its existence), but I couldn’t help feeling sorry to have witnessed it in its final days – another pub confined to the dustbin of history.