CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE

GREATER LONDON (SOUTH-EAST) - London SE5, Camberwell, Corrib Bar

National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors Part One

181 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, London, SE5 0HB

Tel: 020 7703 4007

Public Transport: Underground: Oval

Listed Status: Not listed

View this pub on a local map

A remarkably unaltered 1930s pub that is worth a visit to see how many smallish street-corner local pubs must have looked. It was built by East End brewers Charringtons, as indicated by their emblem of the toby jug on the large tiled panel which bears the former pub name in diagonal lettering. The present one, befitting for an Irish pub, comes from a river and lough in Galway.

There are three rooms ranged along the side street, New Church Road. On the corner is the public bar, then a snug and finally a saloon. The higher status of the latter is indicated by the slightly superior panelling compared to the other two rooms.

The fittings are all low-key as was common in the 1930s. The most striking feature perhaps is the band of terrazzo in front of the snug bar counter, patterned like an over-size piano keyboard. The bar-back has unusual treatment with dimpled glass panels forming the back wall to it and the front windows too have some surviving dimpled glazing and attractive strips of green glass.

This pub was patronised by the notorious 1960s Richardson gang whose leader, Charlie, had his scrapyard close by. He and his brother Eddie led a life of theft, fraud, extortion, handling stolen goods and were infamous for torturing those who crossed them or whose loyalty was suspect. They feuded with the East End Kray gang but were arrested in 1966 and imprisoned.