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A former Charrington's house, the pub is a rare survivor of the suburban inter-war years fashion for mock-Tudor. It dates from 1937, and may have been designed by Charrington's architect Sidney C Clark. It was named for the long closed Crouch End station, just up the hill, elements of which survive on what is now the Parkland Walk, part of the London Ring, from Highgate to Finsbury Park.
The wood panelling of the interior, which keeps part at least of the dividing screen between the large front room and the more snug rear (which includes a fairly cosy gas-effect fire and inglenook), wood bar and back bar, all make for an inviting stop when in Crouch End, or a short diversion off your walk.
There's a good mixture of hanging decoration, and art on the walls, and a friendly enthusiastic staff team happily served us drinks at the bar counter - four cask ales on including well-kept Fuller's London Pride and Timthy Taylor's Landlord.
Their website contains a very interesting section on the pub's history going back to 1937, it is worth mentioning the Toby plaque in the downside wall. There's much more background and history on the Crouch End Neighbourhood Forum site https://www.crouchendforum.org.uk/local-heritage-list-additions-railway-tavern-kings-head
Archway station on the Northern Line is about a mile and a half -away - 15 minutes by bus, or about 30 minutes walk. Bus routes serving the area include 41, N41, 91 and W5.
One star - A pub interior of special national historic interest
Listed status: Not listed
1936 Neo-Tudor pub. The front bar has a dado of fielded panelling, an inter-war panelled counter, original bar back fitting, and the doorway to the rear room retains the top glazed section. The rear room up a step has an inter-war dado of fielded panelling, original inter-war bar counter with a cupboard and an inter-war bar back fitting. At the rear is a wonderful inter-war inglenook fireplace of brick with a copper hood with seating either side.
1936 Neo-Tudor pub with an excellent ceramic 'House of Toby' (i.e. Charringtons) sign on the outside wall. The three doors on the left hand side indicate there was originally three rooms but there is now just two but the top half of the dividing wall has been removed âfor supervisionâ.
The front bar has a dado of fielded panelling, an inter-war panelled counter, original bar back fitting but most of the lower shelves lost to fridges. The gentsâ here looks traditional / original but has modern wall tiles. Note the Devil Among The Tailors / Table Skittles ready to play â a rarity in a London pub. Doorway to rear room retains the top glazed section.
The rear room up a step has a bare wood floor, an inter-war dado of fielded panelling, original inter-war bar counter with a cupboard and an inter-war bar back fitting. At the rear is a wonderful inter-war inglenook fireplace of brick with a copper hood with seating either side. The gents at the rear is not changed apart from modern wall tiling in the main area â it has three big inter-war urinals, red floor tiles and a dado of inter-war tiling in the ante-room.
This Pub serves 2 changing beers and 2 regular beers.
Railway Tavern, Crouch End
Source: National