Not already a member?
Join our community and
- Rate & review pubs
- Upload pictures
- Add events
JOIN for free NOW
Chat about:
Poll for date of Halifax crawl. with ROBCamra
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
Thornbury Castle, Marylebone, W1
W1
W1H 1DN
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about Thornbury Castle
A bit of an odd one was the Thornbury Castle when I visited on a recent Friday afternoon. There’s an L-shaped bar that faces banquette seating along the front and right walls. At the rear is some raised seating, and all of the tables have a candle, which were not lit. This, the décor and slow background music would have given the feel of a restaurant between kitchen hours, but for the two locals chatting with the bar staff. I actually enjoyed sitting in the dark listening to the bollox being chatted, proper pub vibe. The bar supports four hand pumps but one was unused. Harvey’s Best, Bedlam Phoenix and Rosies Pig Cider were the cask options. There are also five premium keg options. The Harvey’s was good, but being from Sussex I see it everywhere. An OK pub.
On 6th July 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5249 recommendations about 5217 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about Thornbury Castle
This Good Beer Guide regular never used to be open on Saturdays, meaning my chances of getting a tick were limited.
However, it has recently changed hands and someone who saw my Untappd check in suggested that it will be out the Good Beer Guide in the next edition. The landlords have not been there a year.
That said, the Harveys Sussex Best was in excellent condition and this will be my "local", as Marylebone station is a bit of a beer desert.
On 3rd July 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1338 recommendations about 1324 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about Thornbury Castle
Side street boozer that I visited last time I was drinking in Marylebone in 2017. It's arguably the best pub in Marylebone. Although the real ale selection was limited to a couple of Rebellion beers on my Monday lunchtime arrival. These were Surf's Up & Overthrow. The lack of choice was most likely due to the fact that a Monday is fairly quiet. Only 4 other customers arrived during my stay, in addition to a couple of drinking colleagues with myself. I was planning to try both of the beers, until the Overthrow was replaced by Tring Citra Session.
Thai food is served here and my King Prawn Pad Thai went down rather nicely. Prices for both beer and food seemed a bit steep. But then again, this is central London.
The pub has a clear focus on rugby, with plenty of pictures and items relating to the sport on display. The interior is a fairly cosy carpeted affair with a small seating area at the front, a wider area to the side of the bar and further seating at the rear. Toilets are also downstairs at the rear.
Staff are friendly and whilst the ale range was not as good as on my last visit, the beers were interesting enough to tempt me back in the future.
On 2nd November 2021
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Thornbury Castle
Fine side-street pub located a short distance over the A501 from Marylebone station and definitely one of the best pubs in the area if waiting for a train. Very traditional interior with a 'U'-shaped bar set a right angles to the street, with a further small 'L'-shaped seating / dining area set up a couple of steps at the back. 3/4-height wood panelling and a selection of old prints complete the pleasing effect. It's GBG 2019 listed, and there was a decent selection of real ales from smaller breweries - such as Amelia from Park (£5.10) - available from five of the six handpumps.
On 29th June 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about Thornbury Castle
Very close to Marylebone Station,this street corner boozer has quite a small interior and just a few benches outside to cope with any overflow.It has a single room,but this is broken up by columns to the rear and with bench seating around the front the overall experience is of a traditional boozer.However Thai food is served,and many punters were partaking.
There are normally 4 or 5 ales available at this 2019 GBG listed pub,but on my visit just Rebellion Peacemaker,Tring Citra Session and Three Sods Mon Cheri IPA (in good nick but £5.10pp ???).The barstaff were quite indifferent and the guv'nor was taciturn bordering on rude,he certainly wasn't full of the Christmas spirit.
OK for a quick one if using the station,but certainly not the complete package.
On 21st December 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about Thornbury Castle
Tucked away down a side street. Quite a plain wood panelled interior( some rugby memorabilia)with 6 real ale taps 5 on during my visit.
On 23rd October 2018
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about Thornbury Castle
Lovely pub, well laid out open plan but with certain areas and levels. Good beer, good pub
On 1st October 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about Thornbury Castle
A first in here the other day and I too was rather taken with this traditional dinky place, just a few yards from the mayhem of Marylebone Road.
The pub started life as the Princess Royal with the current name dating from the 1850s; it was rebuilt in its current guise in 1938. Inside, it’s a generally split area, quite compact with a slightly raised area to the rear. There’s a traditional bar with spirits dispensed the old-fashioned way from optics, which greatly speeds up serving times as staff don’t have to arse about with stupid little metal spirit measures. Above, there’s an unusual frosted glass and wrought iron pot shelf. To the walls there’s fine ¾-height bare English oak panelling; paintwork is simple and white with décor comprising some framed, signed rugby shirts – this pub is big on rugby. The floor is mainly carpeted and there’s a lino bar apron topped with a brass footrail. Furniture is conventional, with a couple of high, circular tables affording a fine view of the contents of the glass-fronted tall chiller cabinet in the middle of the floor. Despite my early arrival – 5.30 pm – the pub was heaving, probably drawn by the multiple TVs showing the sport, albeit with the sound down.
The pub is run by a very friendly landlady, the bar top presenting six ales with the day’s selection and tasting notes on the pub’s website - nice touch.
Ales: Tring Brewery’s Lorenz, Little Beer Co’s Little & Often and Little Haka, Windsor & Eaton’s Last Drop, Rebellion Brewery’s Visionary and Gold at a rather stiff £2.50 a half which though very nice indeed, is a very pricey for a backstreet locals’ pub, especially when you consider the somewhat up-itself Royal Oak across the road is cheaper.
This is a very nice pub indeed and a rare find in central London. The other customers and I too were untrammelled by the lack of Electric Soup on cask, though for me there’s no place for TVs in my perfect pub, hence the mark.
Closed at weekends.
On 8th March 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about Thornbury Castle
I too was taken by this small side street pub with its wood panelling throughout and small raised seating area at the rear. Clearly a strong rugby union connection from the memorabilia on the walls which always enamours me to a place. But a decent range of well-kept beers increases that further, especially when the Rugby theme is followed through to the beer choices and for my inaugural visit Vale Brewery Lock Prop and Barrel, Windsor and Eton Last Drop, The Little Beer Company Little Haka, By The Horns Hop Air Balloon Session IPA and two from the Marlow Rebellion Brewery in the form of Gold and Visionary were available. The two I tried were very well kept but as others have said they were not the cheapest pints I’ve experienced in London.
The pub was being well patronised with early evening commuters and it emptied out a bit as they disappeared towards the nearby Chiltern line station.
I am more than happy with a range of six beers from 3.9% to 4.4% and like the majority of reviewers on this site believe there are a lot of other things that go to make a good pub other than the strength of the beer it serves. And as this pub ticked several of those other boxes I am happy to rate the Thornbury Castle in line with the majority..
On 1st March 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
custodian 42 left this review about Thornbury Castle
One room with bar to the left. Six hand pumps, one reversed. Unfortunately nothing above 4.5% ABV.
On 28th February 2018
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]