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The Greenwood Hotel (JD Wetherspoon), Northolt
Northolt
UB5 4LA
Pub Type
J D WetherspoonReviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Greenwood Hotel (JD Wetherspoon)
A huge imposing building,3* listed CAMRA heritage pub and it's obvious why.The Wetherspoon branding has been played down on the exterior and it still operates as a hotel.The bar to the left is long and has a series of gaming machines and mainly high tables and is the least impressive part.The main entrance to the side opens into a curved tap room with a mix of seating on both sides ,with an entrance to the art deco Dining Rooms though an arch.There are two dining rooms,to the left the Assembly Hall with a small servery and a large stage,unused these days with a vaulted roof but not glazed.Lots of seating booths here.The lower Green Room dining room is opulent for a 'spoons,while further down is a strange small section,with modern lighting looking out of place but maybe just an overflow area,was this a Jug & Bottle ?.
It would take time to inspect all the handpumps,the App is the best guide to real ale availability and on my trip besides the trio of Doom there were 8 guests with my Oakham 12 Monkeys on fine form (NBSS 3.5).The vastness of the interior is impressive as is the detailing and features so it's worth wandering around.There aren't many pubs in this area,this one really does stand out and should be visited by anyone interested in pub architecture.
On 6th January 2024
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Greenwood Hotel (JD Wetherspoon)
Located in what seems to be quite a residential neighbourhood somewhere between Greenford and Northolt, this is a large pub converted by Wetherspoons from a lovely old hotel. The restrictions put in place by the pub to comply with Covid regulations meant I found myself seated in the lobby-style space that you find yourself in when entering via the corner entrance, making it tricky for me to get a good grasp on some parts of the pub. This lobby area is of a decent size and has smart floorboards, high wood panelled walls and a very pleasant curved bar counter to the left, beneath a wide arched canopy and with a mirrored dark wood bar back topped by an integral clock. The area’s most striking feature has to be the lovely stained-glass skylight in the centre of the room which has a large ornamental light fitting hung from it. Seating is restricted to a few tables with comfy padded chairs and a padded banquette next to the entrance. One of the tables, which I found myself sat at, has a large snakes and ladders board painted on it, which rather sadistically had at least three snakes between squares 91-100. Moving through into the front room, you find a wide but quite shallow space with similar décor and furniture, but with some high tables and stools along the front wall and a long bar counter to the rear, also with some nice curved ends and a truncated gantry. From the lobby, you can also access a large rear dining room which is mostly carpeted and has standard table and chair seating plus a few short-padded bench booths. The room is split in two by a low partitioning wall topped with some enormous vases overflowing with flowers, and I spotted an open kitchen to the rear of the room. Another doorway to the rear of the lobby was signposted as the ‘Jug & Bottle’ – no doubt a reference to this part of the building’s former use, but sadly not somewhere I was able to explore on this visit. A large tarmacked area outside the front of the pub has been converted into an al-fresco seating area which a couple of hardy souls were braving on a cold autumnal evening.
A quick sneak round to the front bar revealed three ‘Spoons regulars and four guest ales, some of which were double clipped in the lobby bar. Having had a delicious pint of Mauldons Black Adder in a Wetherspoons in Horsham the week before, I decided to have another here and found it in just as good condition. The table service system didn’t work too well for those of us without apps, as there weren’t many people working the bar and those that were seemed busy serving all the app orders, forcing me to approach the bar after ten minutes of waiting, in order to get someone’s attention. Having said all that, the staff were very friendly and helpful – there just weren’t enough of them.
This is a really impressive Wetherspoons, benefiting greatly from the grand old building it occupies but also from a sensitive conversion, friendly staff and some good quality beer. It’s the sort of pub that merits repeat visits, with more rooms and features to be discovered each time and the usual ‘Spoons rotating guest ale policy ensuring decent new beers each time. An unexpected find in a part of London I’ve never associated with good pubs or beer.
On 14th October 2020
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Greenwood Hotel (JD Wetherspoon)
Very imposing roadhouse, dating from the late 1930s, and built by Courage (as indicated on some of the tiling). Substantial, staple-shaped main bar to the left of the original main lounge bar entrance, then the rear Dining Hall (also with its own counter) off to the right, the side Green Room (with a former small servery of its own), small ex-'Jug & Bottle', etc. Although modernised by Wetherspoons, many original features remain (with some impressive Art Deco lanterns) and the place still operates as a hotel. Also has tables out on the front patio by the former main entrance. Total of 18 handpumps on different parts of the counter, with mostly standard offerings supplemented by the local Enefeld London Pale Ale (£1.99) and Kelham Island Pale Rider. Overall, a hugely impressive building, and had the staff been more attentive it would have scored a '9'.
On 29th December 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about The Greenwood Hotel (JD Wetherspoon)
A new-ish JDW in pristine condition, very well described below. I think I counted 7 ales on draft plus 3 'coming soon'. There was also a very good selection of craft ales and ciders. I had a pint of Banks's Gold Ingot, which was in superb condition. The food was well cooked but slightly let down by the quality of the ingredients – somewhere as good as this could afford to buy better and I'd be happy paying a couple of quid more for a better steak. I found the staff a bit amateurish, but otherwise this is a very good 'Spoons, certainly the best I've been in to date.
On 18th January 2017
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3285 recommendations about 3250 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Greenwood Hotel (JD Wetherspoon)
This new (Summer 2016) Spoons is a conversion of a classic inter-war ex Courage Metroland barn. An old West London beer guide reveals that it was owned by the JT Davies pub group who bought up the Brakspear estate in 2006. One thing that struck me about it was that it seemed to be the largest original pub I had ever seen. Many of these Metroland barns have closed over the last 30 years becoming completely unviable with fewer people visiting pubs and smaller shop conversions defying the restrictive covenants on new pubs in the Metroland housing areas.
It's been converted to one large area but not necessarily by JDW. My old West London beer guide reveals that the old off licence area had been taken over by a florist.
It's been more than well described below and I'm not even sure that I saw the entirety of it. One thing I did notice was that the windows and doors were original plus I would think much of the wood panelling. This means that it has the look and feel of an original pub.
One of the challenges for this place is that unless you're a keen rambler it's in the middle of nowhere. There is a bus stop on either side of the road but served only by the 487 bus which takes a very long winded route from Willesden Junction to South Harrow Station, although it is a reasonably frequent service. The nearest station is Northolt Park about half a mile away but that is only served by an hourly service between Marylebone and Gerrard's Cross.
It wasn't too busy on a Tuesday morning but there were a couple of brats rampaging around and a solitary daytime brigade type announcing over his phone in a voice loud enough to permeate the entire pub that he was "well oiled".
The main bar area which is in a U shape has ten hand pumps at the front, two sets of two at the side and four at the rear. The front section was closed when I arrived before midday but I assume any beers there were available. Beers noted were the JDW Trio Of Doom, one available soon, two ciders, Deuchar's IPA, two JDW International beers and GK Abbot Reserve. I was disappointed that there were no cask Locale beers but I think I may have missed another bar. I went for the International Adnam's Belgian Blond (£2.49) and a "craft" keg option Sambrook's IPA (£3.69) both of which were excellent.
I thought this was a top Spoons not just in terms of London and the South but UK wide. It's well worth a look.
On 21st December 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Greenwood Hotel (JD Wetherspoon)
This is strange - I'm in a Wetherspoons not previously visited byaqualung! Anyway, recently re-opened by Wetherspoon, this inter-war (1938 actually) pub is in a maginificent old building that has been brought back to life. It still retains its internal original layout, thanks to the local council which declined to give planning permission for Wetherspoon to remove the internal partitioning to turn it into a massive drinking barn. But, to their credit, ‘spoons have spent millions on its restoration, much of it bringing the original woodwork – of which there’s a lot – back up to scratch.
I was given the grand tour by Phil the barman, who kindly showed me the main bar as you enter; the room on the left (loads of tall tables/tall stools here); an original small bar on the right which was probably formerly the public bar, and has its own bar counter; another small room on the corner which was formerly a jug & bottle bar; the Green Dining Room; and lastly the piece de resistance of the original ballroom. The ballroom is a large high ceilinged room that still has its sprung floor for the purpose of dancing (no longer possible as it’s now full of normal tables and chairs), the skylights thankfully providing some more natural light, and the stage at one end on which is a piano and musical instruments, one of which, as well as the piano, were found during the refurbishment. The original art deco lighting is still present, and there is now a massive urn in the centre of the room. The smaller room with its own bar counter has a cockerel in one of its windows, denoting that this was once a Courage house. There is a fairly large patio area outside at the front, containing a good numer of picnic benches.
There are handpumps (loads of them) in the main bar, in the room off it to the left, and in the ballroom. As well as numerous real ales, there are several ciders on handpump as well. They had the real ales listed on a blackboard in the ballroom.
I didn’t see any all day drinkers in there when I was in on Wednesday afternoon, which is possibly a first for a ‘spoons in my experience. This is a magnificent pub/hotel (it has 12 rooms to let) that has somehow retained much of its character. It’s definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area.
On 14th July 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john mcgraw left this review about The Greenwood
Spoke to a resident who lives opposite and she said pub has been sold and closed at the end of last week.Future not known.
On 23rd June 2010
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Greenwood
This huge pub looked closed as I approached at lunchtime today due to lack of light and some blacked out/covered up windows. I was quite surprised when I pushed the door and it opened and I was even more surprised when a friendly barmaid walked over a poured me a decent pint of Guinness when it was clearly the first of the day as I was the only patron.
The pub itself is sparsely decorated and a little grim, but it is very big and split down the middle creating two sides that would be classed as good sized pubs in their own right. The first thing that I spotted as I entered the right hand side of the pub were that two of the three hand pumps on the bar were unused leaving a lonely Courage Best holding the fort against the draught taps that were dispensing the usual suspects. I didn’t spot any advertisements for Sky Sports and the plasma screen up on the wall was showing an old John Wayne film on E4 which gave a slightly surreal atmosphere. After being served I wandered into the back section where the bar continues to reach around with another two unused hand pumps and some more standard draught products. There was another plasma screen in here that was off and a pool table. Behind the pool table there are some double doors that lead to the ‘Whitton’ function rooms which were closed off during this visit. I didn’t venture into the left hand side of the pub, but I did spot yet another three unused hand pumps, more fizzy beers and a dartboard as I peered through the bar. Looking at the outside of the building I think that this is one large horseshoe pub with four separate rooms all served by the bar.
There is some outside seating in the form of picnic tables, but these are next to a fairly busy road and I’m not sure where the seating section ends and the car parking begins. There is another large car park at the rear which I’d imagine being used for parking when a function is in progress as the main entrance to the ‘Whitton Rooms’ is at the rear meaning that access is gained without traipsing through the pub.
It would take a lot of people to be in this place to give any sort of atmosphere and I got the sense that it has been neglected a little in recent times. I spotted a sign outside advertising the Freehold for sale so maybe the current owners have had enough as the size of this place dictates a lot of hard work just to keep it running.
On 21st April 2010
- rating: 5
[User has posted 5251 recommendations about 5219 pubs]