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Cambridge PuG Crawl, Friday 5th April 2024 with Gann on the Pub Forum

The Junction, SW11

36 St. Johns Hill
SW11
SW11 1SA
Phone: 02072281708

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Pub Type

Taylor Walker (Spirit Pubs)
Page: 1 2

Reviews (Current Rating Average: of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Tris C left this review about The Junction

The former Windsor Castle dates from at least 1871 but I suspect that this is an interwar years’ building in what from the outside initially looks like a very fine example of brewers’ Tudor indeed.
Inside and the place really is no longer quite so impressive. Part boarded and part carpeted, there are some fine baronial beams to the rear painted white and some equally baronial studded wooden doors to the lavs, but otherwise it’s all a bit tired, with a slightly scruffy bar area, three-quarter height field panelling painted grey, then white walls to a white ceiling, conventional furniture, leaded lights with occluded glass, games machine and décor in the form of ye olde black and white prints of the area and railway history. Customers were few in number for a Thursday and local, no-one watching sport on the TVs with the sound down, loud dross on the stereo.
Ale amounted to GK IPA ‘coming soon’, Old Golden Hen and unable to face this, went for a half of Estrella at an utterly laughable £3.35, served by a very surly barman.
Sited next to Clapham Junction station in the heart of the area’s nightlife, this is a poor location and now quite a poor pub; it may once have been a fine example of brewers’ Tudor but is now suffering from brewers’ droop.

On 10th September 2023 - rating: 4
[User has posted 1955 recommendations about 1922 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Graham Coombs left this review about The Junction

Once known, and still sometimes referred to as as the Windsor Castle, this pub has a good traditional feel. Inside has been opened out into one long room, with the bar in the centre between front and back areas. At the back is a garden. A reasonable range of ales is usually on offer, with ELB Foundation two from Bedlam alongside IPA and Abbot on this occasion. Old Rosie is the draught cider, although at time of visit a mini cider festival was under way with a stack of boxes. A good alternative to the Falcon if it is too busy.

On 6th August 2019 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3322 recommendations about 3259 pubs]


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Alan Winfield left this review about The Junction

The Junction is a nice looking pub that is situated close to Clapham Junction train station.
Once inside there is a long oblong shaped room which runs to the rear,there is a wood floor,the seating is a mix of tall tables and chairs and comfy bench seating and chairs,the rear area is carpeted and has normal tables and chairs.
The pub is a Greene King house,but there was a decent choice of real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Plain Ales Hairy Hooker,which was a very nice drink,the other real ales were Sambrooks Scrumdown,Trumans Blind Side and GK London Glory.
The TVs were showing the France v Wales rugby game.
I thought this was a decent pub to have a drink in.

Pub visited 18/3/2017

On 4th June 2017 - rating: 7
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]


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Pub SignMan left this review about The Junction

Located outside one of the entrances to Clapham Junction station, this is a compact Taylor Walker pub catering to a fairly transient customer base. You enter into a small seating area at the front of the pub, with bare floorboards inlaid with a few decorative tiles and a smattering of high table and stool seating. There is a nice fireplace to the left and the walls have been covered with some high wood panelling and wallpaper designed to look like a set of bookshelves. The servery appears midway down the left hand wall and has a traditional counter and bar back with a pub mirror as the centrepiece. The canopy, in true railway station bar style, is adorned with all manner of travel themed items as well as photos of old trains and some large letters which spelled out the pub’s name. Beyond the bar is a rear section which probably qualifies as the lounge. Here we find banquettes around the perimeter and standard tables with low stools elsewhere, allowing plenty of seating to be crammed into a relatively small space. There is a fireplace on the rear wall with one of several TV screens above it, all showing live International football, whilst the walls display more of that stupid bookcase wallpaper and some decent white panels. A screen to the rear hid an old stained glass window which looked like it could’ve made a nice feature and there were more old train pictures dotted around, some suitcases in cages mounted to the wall and some huge ‘church-style’ light features hung from the high gabled ceiling. A door leads out to a rear patio area which I failed to explore and music played throughout my Saturday night visit, although it was generally drowned out by the hubbub of a sizeable crowd.
Six handpulls offered Plain IPA and Sheep Dip, Taylor Walker 1730, Greene King IPA and two real ciders. I’ve generally had good experiences with Plain Ales and decided to give their IPA a try. Thankfully this kept up the good run as I thought it was a nicely balanced beer kept in pretty good condition.
With the downturn in quality and service in the nearby Falcon, jumping off the train at Clapham Junction for a swift pint has become a bit of a rarity for me, but I thought this place worked well as a station-side boozer and I’m fairly sure I’ll be popping in again sometime soon.

On 7th November 2016 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]


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john mcgraw left this review about The Junction

A pub with the bar in the middle and two seating areas each end. A fair range of real ales on offer with the Long Man Copper Hop being in good form but at £3.90 a pint way over the top. I would visit again but not at these prices.

On 15th October 2014 - rating: 5
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]


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Philip Carter left this review about The Windsor Castle

The Junction

If you're sitting in The Junction
You will not get a train
You may have come in through the doors
To get out of the rain
Though the railway runs nearby
The trains do not stop here
But you can get off at the station
And drop in for a beer
The Junction is a refurbished pub
With lots of comfy seats
Plenty of space for you and your friends
To have your drinks and eats
The food menu is extensive
The wine list has lots of choice
It's a friendly place and not too loud
So you don't have to raise your voice
If you have a train to catch
At the station that's nearby
Arrive there extra early
And give The Junction a try.

On 21st January 2014 - rating: 8
[User has posted 757 recommendations about 720 pubs]


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Malden man left this review about The Windsor Castle

Opened out into a single space, the impressive vaulted beamed ceiling remains to the rear however all has been painted in pale shades predominantly greys and greens. The wood panelling has also been in my view vandalised by painting light green. Part carpeted in the front with a boarded "path" to the bar, parquet wood flooring to the rear. The bar is in the front area with the pub name in lettering on the gantry between a few railway related photos. There is a fair bit of railway nostalgia around providing interest, rather cryptically continued by the set of suitcases in small wire cages. Mixed seating with a number of high tables and some armchairs with a postage stamp design on the upholstery. The library style wallpaper seemed in my view to clash with the other décor.
Six handpumps, three from Adnam's although one was reversed the other being Explorer and Xmas cheer. Also on were Sambrooks Wandle, ELB Nightwatchman and Portabello Star, the last two being in great shape. Food is served, menus were on the tables as well as a chalkboard which listed lunch specials for £4.95. There was a quiz on the go but thankfully this didn't overly dominate to the point that conversation was threatened.
Our group had intended to spend the evening in the nearby Falcon but had to decamp as the usually excellent venue fell considerably short of it's expected standards on this occasion. Beer wise it proved a good alternative even if a fair bit of previous character has now gone with the refurb.

On 5th December 2013 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]


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John Bonser left this review about The Windsor Castle

Update - November 2013

Now knocked through into one bar and renamed The Junction. Branded as a Taylor Walker pub.

Pastel colours now dominate, but there's now lots of railway photos, memorabilia which is a plus point

Six beers on - 3 from Sambrooks, London Pride, Surrey Hills Shere Drop plus Hobgoblin

Beer quality reasonable and range has increased from previously, but I don't particularly like what TW have done to this pub.

Original Review - 2011

Situated on St Johns Hill, close to Clapham Junction station, is The Windsor Castle, a splendid example of what is known as a Brewers Tudor pub.

Several years ago, the pub was under threat of being demolished, due to a proposed redevelopment of the station surrounds, but I gather that this has been put on hold.

It’s a two bar pub with a small locals bar at the front retaining old wall panelling and a dartboard. With a separate entrance on the side street is the much larger saloon bar. Here there’s two distinct parts, including a baronial style hall at the back with a sloping roof and heavy duty black beams in the eaves. There’s extensive wood panelling throughout and leaded frosted windows. This bar is largely carpeted with an original bar counter and gantry and brass foot rail. The pub features in the CAMRA book of London Heritage Pubs.

The pub is part of the Original Pub Co arm of Punch Taverns and, despite the attractive interior, it has something of that chain pub feel with the normal laminated large menus on each table and standard tables and chairs dominating the interior.

On my recent Saturday lunchtime visit, apart from several Antipodeans watching an Aussie Rulers soccer game on a TV on the bar gantry, the pub was virtually deserted, in marked contrast to The Falcon, a few doors further down.

There’s 3 pumps and Pride and Doom Bar were on. Youngs Ordinary is often on as well. Unfortunately, I have to report that, based on several visits over the last few months, beer quality is unreliable. There appears to be little, if any, real ale trade.

As a pub, I quite like its rather earthy unpretentious “proper pub” feel, but it’s a very poor second to The Falcon on the beer front.

On 14th November 2013 - rating: 5
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Windsor Castle

Quite a bold example of Brewer's Tudor, looking somewhat out of place on St John's Hill, but certainly more attractive that the intimidating brick façade of the Grand music venue / night club opposite. Small front bar plus a much larger extended room to the rear (unusually with no direct connection between the two - not even a shortcut through the intermediate gents toilet that one sometimes finds). Wood panelling throughout, giving a slightly gloomy appearance, not helped by the plain furniture and decor. Plenty of offers on the Original Pub Company menus. Black Sheep, Old Peculier and Wainwright (£3.24, right glass) from a total of seven handpumps (with just two of these at the front). Overall, nothing special, but a bit of a surprise that such a traditional pub still exists in the Clapham Junction area.

On 2nd June 2013 - rating: 6
[User has posted 8061 recommendations about 8061 pubs]


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Roger Button left this review about The Windsor Castle

Dating from 1890, this mock Tudor fronted pub has more of an inter-war feel to it than any great Victorian spndour. Situated a few carriage lengths from Clapham Junction station, the pub has an air of nostalgia for me from the days when the Grand Theatre opposite was a regular music venue and this was a common pre-gig watering hole. With the Grand having a refreshed interest in live music, I have recently found myself reacquainting myself with the pub.

Part of the local CAMRA Inventory (although not the National register) the interior is still divided into its 2 original bars. Unusually there is no access between them without going outside and round the corner. The small, paneled public bar at the front contains a dartboard and is quite simply laid out. The larger rear bar has more architectural merits dominated by the eyecatching vaulted roof.

Currently owned by the Original Pub Company, the ale selection is improved on how I remember with Pride and Hook Norton Hooky Bitter available for my latest visit and a third pump with a reversed Doom Bar clip. From my experience, availability and quality is very much in lucky dip territory and service can also be quite frustrating. The basic pub grub menu will cater for anyone who is unfussy and at prices that are so ridiculously low you would hardly complain if the food was so bad that you left half of it.

The customer base is generally the type that stagger in to the pub to start their daily sessions although I have not encountered much in the way of hassle or ropey behaviour and everyone seems to stick within their own little world without pestering strangers or each other.

Given that it is one of the few real pubs in the area, its (temporary?) escape from the wrecking ball as the wrangles over the station’s extention continue means that the place is with us longer than it had been anticipated. It is worth a look if only to get the feel of an unspoilt pub although its mostagia value will perhaps always endear it a bit more to me personally than it may to others.

On 19th April 2012 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]

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