Duke of Wellington, Notting Hill

Built in 1860 and designed probably by Thomas Pocock for H H Finch* (an independent pub company taken over by Young's in 1991) – note the ‘Finch’ in stone relief at the top of the three-storey building of brick painted yellow with a balustrade along the top. It retains much from an island bar interior from the late 19th century. In 2001 the pub was expanded into the shop next door on Portobello Road and there is a wide gap linking the two parts.

(* According to 'Inn and Around London' by Helen Osborn, published by Young's Brewery in 1991, the freehold of this pub was bought by Mr H H Finch in 1890.)

There is a vestibule on the Portobello Road side which has three cut and etched narrow panels on one side. There are four other doors indicating there were five separate spaces originally but, remarkably, two full screens and some short ones still survive. Close to the vestibule entrance there is a low screen with a broken pediment at the top, a doorway and two narrow etched and frosted panels. There is another low screen on the left, Elgin Crescent side, with a doorway, good decorative etched and frosted panel either side and along the top. The room has wall panelling to about two-thirds height and along with the partitions it has been painted turquoise.

The late 19th century island bar counter has a panelled front and in recent years has been rubbed down to the bare wood. The bar back has some vestiges of the original – the top section with a broken pediment and painted turquoise remains as does part of the lower section but there is much modern work. There is an ornate ceiling possibly of Anaglypta.

The small room in the former shop part has no old fittings and there is another added-on area at the rear called the refectory which has modern tiling on the wall.