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
The William Bourne, Chessington
Chessington
KT9 2BX
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The William Bourne
Lively community local with a bright, refurbished interior arranged round the central bar, with different games and dining areas. Good outdoor area with front terraces and large garden. Draught ales of usual national brands: GK, Doom Bar etc but that sampled in fair condition.
On 7th October 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Nick Davies left this review about The William Bourne
Typical thirties roadhouse once owned by Ind Coope but now in Stonegate's down market 'Local Pub' format. Once there would have been three or four rooms but now all knocked through in the usual manner. Some of the furnishings and fittings appear to be Festival of Britain vintage, though it's all a mishmash and a bit social clubby as Rex says below. It did have issues in the past but now seems well run with a friendly welcome. Just GK IPA and Young's Ordinary when we called early evening, but stuck to Wifebeater as that seems to be the drink of choice. Food is the usual freezer to microwave fare.
At the moment it seems to be making a fair stab at being a community local, it's certainly popular enough, though I wouldn't go out of my way to come here.
On 30th September 2013
- rating: 5
[User has posted 567 recommendations about 559 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The William Bourne
Marston’s EPA and London Pride (£2.80 a pint) were available here. The Pride was very hazy, but I persevered with it as I didn’t fancy the EPA, and it did fall into the “just about drinkable” category. This is a Stonegate pub, so all the tables sported the usual full colour glossy menus, plus a separate menu giving the various daily meal deals, such as burger and a drink for £5.99 on a Monday. It always peeves me a bit that these meal/drink deals never offer anything that I want to drink – John Smith’s was the bitter included.
The pub itself has a bit of brewers’ Tudor on the outside, but I’m pretty sure that it’s an inter-war pub built during the expansion of London. Inside it’s carpeted with mainly normal tables and chairs but with a couple of tall tables/stools. There’s a room stretching round to the right and rear of the bar counter, but the majority of seating is at the front of the room. The usual pub accoutrements of games machines, fruit machines, TVs and a pool table are all present here. There’s not much in the way of decor worth mentioning, but there is a fair amount of outdoor seating, with a garden on the right, and some tables at the front which are more easily accessible for smokers.
It’s obviously very children friendly as there several family groups in here on Thursday afternoon. The adults of both sexes in the large extended family group sitting near me clearly thought it acceptable behaviour to use foul language in front of the children of the group but I accept they may not have been typical of customers in here. The place did have something of the atmosphere of a caravan social club about it, but maybe the locals like it like that. I hope that I was unlucky enough to hit it on a bad day, but nonetheless I can’t see me returning.
On 9th April 2012
- rating: 3
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Stacey Harris left this review about The William Bourne
The name bonesgate has been about since the 1870's and has nothing to do with the plague of london, The pub was called 'the gate' and owned by William Bourne, The locals refered to it as Bournes Gate and over the years that has ended up as Bonesgate
We have taken it back to its original roots by re-naming it after William Bourne and have kept the history inside with lots of historical local photos - the pub is now stunning inside with a beautiful garden and a great food and drink offer - Come take a proper look :)
On 8th April 2011
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1 recommendations about 1 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
richard surman left this review about The William Bourne
i totally agree the name change is outragous , The bonegate was a perfectly good name, as it been around for 100 years as you said ,it dates back to the 16th century and was believed to be linked with the great plague of london .
well the Willaim Bourne has no link to chessington or surrounding area ,he actually designed submarines for pitty sake what the hell as that got to to with chessington, unless the brewery discovered he tested the submarines in the bloomin hogsmill.
shame on brewery they should of consulted local community .
On 8th April 2011
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1 recommendations about 1 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
jill ryan left this review about The William Bourne
I would very much like to know why this pub has changed its name from the "Bones Gate" which it has been known as for over 100 years to The William Bourne.
I disapprove of pub names being changed by brewerys especially as with this pub, there has been a pub and gate for many years by the Hogsmill River. Previous owner of the pub Mr. Barnes, hence the name of Bones Gate as people many years ago could not write or spell properly and the name changed to Bones Gate from Barnes Gate.
Does William Bourne, have anything to do with Bourne Hall in Ewell?
I would very much like to know more.
On 4th April 2011
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1 recommendations about 1 pubs]