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Poll for date of Halifax crawl. with ROBCamra
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by Graham Coombs
Submitted on Sunday, 16th June 2019
With picture contributions to 5136 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (10 more images)
Detail Pages
The Brompton Cross, SW3
SW3
SW3 2DY
Served areas
Reviews of The Brompton Cross (Average Rating: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about The Brompton Cross
The Hour Glass first gained its licence in 1852 as a beer house, the current incarnation dating from 1936. I came here once before in the late ‘80s, to find the place – and customers – less than inviting; we didn’t stay; I also recall bullseye glass and most likely the original Charrington’s windows, now gone. What still remains is a very fine example of a period exterior, with great faience tiling and some of the best Charrington’s ceramic plaques I’ve seen (see photo), also featured is a very rare pre-Hoare’s ‘winged tankard’ mosaic between the first and second floors; the Charrington’s lanterns are original too and may once have had Toby jug motifs applied to the glass panes.
The interior is relatively wide in comparison to its incredibly shallow depth, with a boarded floor, sea green woodwork, terracotta hessian wallpaper with some floral patterns. A notable feature is the illuminated Charrington’s bar back parapet, the name flanked by the brand’s ‘snob’ character and Toby jug. Furniture is traditional and minimal, with just seating for around four at each end of the pub, otherwise drinking to ledges, with traditional studded velour bar stool tops. Lighting came from fluted sconces, other notable touches being the doorknobs, looking suitably 1930s’; indeed, the place does have something of a time warp feel to it, save for the two TVs showing the football, with the sound off so as not to interfere with a decent soundtrack, Squeeze on my visit. Customers didn’t seem typical to the area, so may come from the neighbouring Peabody estates; no braying in here.
A rather dull ale front amounted to an unused pump, then Pride and Landlord, price forgotten and not in great condition, served by an unmemorable barmaid.
This isn’t a bad place and probably one of the few places in Chelsea to watch the football, despite the area having its own team, apparently. Otherwise though, it’s yet another typical poor Chelsea pub experience, but for reasons that are entirely different from the area’s other pubs; a better quality and more exciting ale range would get the score up.
On 8th November 2022
- rating: 4
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Hour Glass
This is a former Charrington’s pub which has retained its excellent façade, including original tiling and the Toby House sign, located at the Southern end of Brompton Road. The pub has a wide but shallow interior with doors at either end leading you in to the same simple room with the servery along the mid-part of the rear wall. The room has dark floorboards, plain windows along the front wall and a full height mirrored wall to the right which makes the pub appear a lot bigger than it really is. There are limited tables and chairs at either end of the room, plus a few short, button backed banquettes, with the only options being the row of high stools along a drinking ledge under the front windows. The bar has a square ended, dark wood counter, impressive modern gantry and basic mirrored bar back, all embellished with a fancy looking coffee machine and a spectacular bouquet of flowers. A TV screen on the right-hand wall remained turned off throughout the course of my visit, despite a high-profile Chelsea fixture taking place at that very moment in time, suggesting live sports coverage is unlikely. The left side of the room has a few old local photos on the walls alongside a nice Charrington’s mirror, a rather bleak and solitary painting and a small book swap scheme.
There are four handpulls which had a line-up of Harviestoun Bitter and Twisted, Fullers London pride and Wimbledon Copper Leaf (£5.00) on this visit. The friendly barman served up a pretty good pint of the Copper leaf and I noted that the keg lines also included several Harviestoun beers, whilst lots of their promotional material could be seen around the room, suggesting they may have some sorts of link to the brewery.
I liked this pleasant, uncomplicated pub with its fantastic exterior, unfussy interior and decent, well-kept ale range. The pub felt a lot more homely and welcoming than a lot of the other pubs in this part of town and I was glad I went out of my way to check it out.
On 24th September 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Hour Glass
A refreshing change from the typical 'traditional' pubs in the area; a splendid 1930s building sympathetically restored inside with good original features. The uncluttered décor gives a pleasant, restful feel. the level of seating seems to have improved over earlier reviews, although it is not a large pub but there is a function room upstairs. Also refreshingly different were the draught beers, with Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted and Harviestoun Pale alongside Wimbledon SW19, and in good order.
On 14th June 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
View more reviews of The Brompton Cross (8)
No known official website for this pub.
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Brompton Cross - whatpub.com
London Victoria, 1.44 miles, 27 min walk (show)
West Brompton, 1.45 miles, 28 min walk (show)
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 14 June 2019 by Graham Coombs
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 14 June 2019 by Graham Coombs
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 22 September 2015 by ROB Camra
- Beer Garden : No last updated 22 September 2015 by ROB Camra
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 22 September 2015 by ROB Camra
- Car Park : No last updated 22 September 2015 by ROB Camra
- Darts : No last updated 14 June 2019 by Graham Coombs
- Function Room : Yes last updated 14 June 2019 by Graham Coombs
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 13 October 2015 by hondo .
- Jukebox : No last updated 14 June 2019 by Graham Coombs
- Karaoke : No last updated 14 June 2019 by Graham Coombs
- Live Music : No last updated 22 September 2015 by ROB Camra
- Live TV Sports : Yes - Terrestrial only - last updated 22 September 2015 by ROB Camra
- Micropub : No last updated 22 September 2015 by ROB Camra
- Pinball : No last updated 14 June 2019 by Graham Coombs
- Pool Table : No last updated 14 June 2019 by Graham Coombs
- Quiz Night : No last updated 08 November 2022 by Tris C
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 13 October 2015 by hondo .
- Real Cider : No last updated 24 September 2019 by Pub SignMan
- WiFi : Yes last updated 13 October 2015 by hondo .
