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The Fox, Hanwell, W7

Green Lane
W7
W7 2PJ

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


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Tris C left this review about The Fox

Dating from 1909 and built by pub architect Thomas Henry Nowell Parr, the pub is on CAMRA’s list of pubs of historic interest, this being of Some Regional Importance.
It’s well described on CAMRA’s website and below and as Moby says, this is one of the few pubs in the area worth a return visit. Near to the canal, the pub is situated in an area which estate agents would probably term ‘Hanwell Village’; rather pretty houses with graphite-coloured German cars parked outside. Customers were mixed in age though genteel, most seemed to be eating though I did enter via the restaurant entrance. There appears to have been some recent work done to the interior (thankfully the awful white bar front has gone), which includes some furniture which is a bit twee, but overall, the appearance is one of wood panelling and some attractive etched glass; there’s further glasswork of interest, being leaded with Art Nouveau-stained glass to the clerestory windows.
A friendly barmaid presided over two unused pumps, then Landlord, Proper Job, Five Points Best and White Horse Trojan at a very reasonable £2.40 a half and in great nick.
This is a nice pub though perhaps a bit twee, but when you’ve visited most of Hanwell’s other pubs, you appreciate this all the more.

On 21st November 2022 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1956 recommendations about 1923 pubs]


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Moby Duck left this review about The Fox

Very tough to follow a PSM review as he's usually said everything, this is no exception. This is indeed a very nice pub with the feel of a country pub rather than part of a city. There are eight handpumps of which five were on the go during my visit, London Pride, Landlord, Vale Best and APA along with a very nice St Austell Proper Job.
It keeps a pub atmosphere despite doing a lot of food, I partook of a reasonably priced Rump steak at £15.00 which was cooked to perfection. One of few pubs in the area worth a revisit.

On 22nd August 2021 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1868 recommendations about 1841 pubs]


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Pub SignMan left this review about The Fox

After a brisk walk from Brentford along the towpath of a frozen Grand Union Canal and a quick snoop around the impressive Hanwell Locks, I was looking forward to visiting this well regarded Good Beer Guide regular, which is just a short distance from the canal and well signposted. The pub has an elongated L-shaped layout with evidence of a previous multiple room set-up. The bar area is to the right of the main entrance, with a conventional seating area to the left. The bar section has modern floorboards and runs at right angles, following the shape of the servery which has a beautiful curved counter with white panel frontage and a dark top and bar back. The highlight was the gantry with its decorative ironwork shelf for glass storage. Padded U-shaped banquettes fill smart bay windows along the front wall, next to what appears to be a former fireplace, now unfortunately blocked off. Long bench seating fills the space to the right of the bar with the help of numerous chairs and some high stools along the bar itself. Meanwhile, the left hand seating area has high wood panelled walls, bench and chair seating options around a nice fireplace with numerous paintings, old local photos and various knick-knacks on display. Fans of pub signs will enjoy the various boards painted with fox images which can be found both inside the pub and on the external walls and another great feature were the stained glass windows to the front showing images of fruit. The pub seems to know how to cater for a range of customers, offering the day's papers, CAMRA magazines, hot food, quiet piped music and a pile of old towels for you to use to dry off your dog. There is also a large gazebo outside with benches presumably for smokers to use in inclement weather and beyond this there is a sizable garden with a fair bit more seating.
The ale range was quite wide but featured plenty of beers that are perhaps overly familiar to the London-based drinker, with the full range on this visit comprising St Austell Tribute and Proper Job, Taylor Landlord, Fullers London Pride, Black Sheep Bitter, Adnams Southwold Bitter and a single real cider. One of the very friendly members of the bar team served up a pint of the Proper Job for £3.90, which was in very good shape and I also decided to take advantage of the fact that I'd managed to bag a comfy seat to order some food which was excellent quality and not particularly over-priced.
I really enjoyed my time here and had the ale range been a little more imaginative, I would've definitely stayed for another pint. The pub struck me as very welcoming and comfortable - the sort of place you could easily settle down in for a good session. My only real concern is that such a family orientated pub with quite a cramped layout could easily get overrun with kids, although those in on this visit all seemed well behaved. An enjoyable visit and well worth breaking off from your canal walk to check out.

On 5th March 2017 - rating: 8
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]


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john gray left this review about The Fox

Well described by others and a nice pub to finish in after a canalside walk.They had a beer fest so loads of choice.Always well supported by the locals.

On 4th April 2016 - rating: 7
[User has posted 1023 recommendations about 1009 pubs]


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Bucking Fastard left this review about The Fox

Very thorough reviews already so no need to add a lot.I liked the airy feel with the high ceiling and large windows,and a real fire although unlit on my trip.London Pride,Doom Bar and TT Landlord are regulars and there always seems to be a guest from Cottage Brewing,their Tornado this time.The final guest was a very well kept Scottish Ale from Red Squirrel but at £3.40pp so it should have been.
Musak was both interesting and played at a subtle volume,and with a Thursday quiz and ocassional live music the local community is well catered for.The attractive beer garden is another feature.
This is a long time entry in the GBG,and is again local CAMRA pub of the year but like Mr Bonser I was a little underwhelmed by the choice of ale,despite my pint being in good order.However that wouldn't stop me venturing inside next time I'm in the area.

On 13th January 2012 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2709 recommendations about 2709 pubs]


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John Bonser left this review about The Fox

At the end of a residential side street and a stone’s throw away from the well known Hanwell Locks on the Grand Union Canal is The Fox. As we leave the canal path at the foot of the locks, we see a sign advertising the pub as offering home cooked food and being local CAMRA pub of the year for 2005 and 2007.

It’s a solid looking brick built pub with a partially tiled exterior. Evidently once a two bar pub, it’s now a single bar with an L shaped bar counter. Space directly in front of the bar is limited, but there’s a further seating area away from the bar at the far end of the pub.

The pub features a high black and white beamed ceiling and the tall windows have attractive art nouveau stained leaded glass at the top near the ceiling. An old wrought iron bar gantry and drinks shelf is still in place. The pub is carpeted throughout and retains something of a rural feel. Note the splendid framed photograph of the pub in times long gone showing a number of coaches and passengers outside the pub in typical Victorian attire. We see from this that the pub was a Royal Brewery of Brentford house. A small folding business card type card on the counter tells us that the pub was a Victorian Freehouse originally built in 1848, although I understand that it was substantially rebuilt in 1909.

There’s a largish, family friendly garden at the side of the pub, which appears to have been considerably upgraded and improved from what I remember in the past. Do note, however, that there’s no canal views.

On my recent early morning visit, a good number of the tables were laid out with place mats and I formed the view that there was more of a food emphasis than previously, but there’s still clearly a warm welcome for local drinkers and passing cyclists and walkers from the canal path.

Beers on were TT Landlord, London Pride, Doom Bar and Cottage Brewery Sunbeam Tiger, a range that might be considered disappointing by today’s free house standards. The TT Landlord - £ 3.20p – was reasonable. The pub is in the 2011 CAMRA Good Beer Guide and advertises regularly in London Drinker, copies of which were prominently displayed by the bar area. As well as winning the local CAMRA branch pub of the year award in 2005 and 2007, it also won it in 2010.

This pub is still well worth calling in on if passing by.

Finally, at the risk of sounding like a certain TV programme presenter, do climb the flight of locks to the top to see the “Three Bridges” – constructed by Brunel in 1856, it features a road bridge over the canal at the place where a railway line passes under the canal.

On 3rd June 2011 - rating: 7
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]


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Rex Rattus left this review about The Fox

When I was in they had four real ales on – Cottage Series Irish Hound; Timothy Taylor Landlord; Sharp’s Doom Bar; and Hampshire Tiger. Luckily I had read Maldenman’s review and knew to look for the second bank of handpumps to the right – where I found the Hampshire Tiger. An excellent pint it was too, at an average sort of London price of £3.10 a pint. All the tables had dining place mats on them, but when I was in early on a Wednesday lunchtime there seemed no problem in just having a pint. Maybe it’s different when it’s busier. There were also beer mats on the tables, which I like, and make an establishment seem more like a real pub. I didn’t examine the food menu in detail, but baguettes came in at around £5 - £6. The cheese, ham and caramelised onion baguette I had cost £5, and was just fine.
The pub itself is a largish stand-alone building down a side street well away from the busy main roads, with some cottages and allotments right by the pub. It seemed quite rural, and had the feel of a country pub to me. The furnishings are all the normal kind – green upholstered banquettes, normal tables and chairs, plus a few stools at the bar. It’s carpeted throughout, with the green theme continuing in the mainly green patterned carpet. Now it’s a single room pub, with the bar in the middle, and the eating/dining area strung around it. I also spotted a comments box on the bar, which I’ve not seen in a pub before. There was a one-armed bandit; and a TV on the wall through which some pop music was being played, although not too loudly. There are the usual sort of prints on the walls, and the window ledges have some fake or dried flowers, and other assorted odds and ends on them. There are a couple of alcoves at the front of the pub, with some attractive leaf patterned leaded lights at the top of the windows. Although food seems to play an important role here, this still seems like a decent enough pub in which to sit and enjoy a pint or two if that’s all you want to do. I expect I’ll pay a return visit at some time.

On 17th March 2010 - rating: 8
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]


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Malden man left this review about The Fox

Kind of L-shaped with the bar in the internal corner of the "L". Black and white beamed high ceiling, panelled walls, large full height windows with stained glass top lights. Carpeted, small traditional tables generally, chairs stools and benches, a few bar stools. All tables set for food with mats, cruet sets and so on Sat lunch, a bit disconcerting but no issue for drinkers, this is a beer pub not one of those gastro places that freeze drinkers out. A nice spot just off the canal, plenty of outside seating too but no waterside views, its about 50m off the towpath down a lane. A covered outdoor area has a bar football table, I guess this large shed is well utilised for the beer festivals The Fox holds from time to time.
Saturday's selection were Pride, Doom Bar, TT Landlord, Cottage Silly Mid Whippet and Morrisey Fox Blonde Ale. Be aware there are two banks of handpumps, the one nearest the entrance had the staples on with the two guests located on the second set around the corner.
A very pleasing spot for a couple this one, I enjoyed it here. You can buy postcards of the pub for 20p from the bar too!

On 16th August 2009 - rating: 8
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]


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john mcgraw left this review about The Fox

A very pleasent and traditional pub down by the Grand Union canal.A single L shaped bar selling up to 5 real ales with the 2 that I tried being in excellent condition.Has won the local CAMRA pub of the year award in 2007 and if they keep up the good work then it should win it again soon.About 10 mins walk from the nearest bus stop and worth every minute of it.

On 29th April 2009 - rating: 10
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]


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Quinno _ left this review about The Fox

An attractive and enjoyable boozer down a no-through road near the Grand Union Canal, serving some good ale (although the choice when I went was pretty limited - only three on – Pride, Tim Taylor and an Archers brew despite number of empty pumps). Appears to be the recipient of numerous local CAMRA awards. TheL-shaped interior is fairly bland, mostly untouched since the late 70’s by the looks of it. TV and pub dog inside; sitting outside in the garden on a sunny day is nice. Gents need a bit of TLC. Be warned, it's almost impossible to find a cashpoint in Hanwell high street (along with the English language it seemed) so go prepared. Worth a seeking out on a lazy day.

On 12th May 2008 - rating: 7
[User has posted 5050 recommendations about 5033 pubs]

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