Griffin, Whetstone

1930s fittings. Of particular note are the two brick fireplaces, one with a wooden Tudor arch, and another with a brick Tudor arch. The back room with its skylight certainly looked like an old billiards room (the landlady didn't know), and the doors leading from the back room with their Tudor arched tops certainly look inter-war. The bar back looked more modern, but the counter front and wall panelling also looked inter-war. Also of real interest is the matchboard panelled ceiling in the front room (seen in one of the attached photos). The front room would originally have been divided into three areas - a small bar (possibly public) on the right; a jug and bottle bar in the centre (unused doorway still in evidence); and a slightly larger bar (possibly saloon) on the left.

Subject to a quality refit in the inter-war period. The doors to the original coaching arch on the right look older but presumably 1930s? There are three front doors – Public Bar, Off Sales, and Private Bar from left to right but they all lead to the one space now. The bar counter could date to the inter-war period with the front recently painted teal blue but the bar back is modern. The Victorian-style wood surround and tiled fireplace is out of place.

At the rear is what was a separate ‘better room’ which is lit by a fine skylight (with modern glass). There is a splendid large Tudor Arch-shaped stone fireplace with an inter-war brick interior. The three-bay over mantle has diagonally set 1930s brick. There is a dado of inter-war fielded panelling around the room / area and an ornate cornice.

LPG Crawl says description is: -

A pub on this site was a coaching inn for those heading north from London. Inside there are several (inter-war probably) heritage features. The fielded wood panelling on the walls is old, as is the bar counter front, and the unusual Tudor arch topped doors at the back are an interesting feature. There are brick built fireplaces on both sides of the main bar area which are clearly original, as is the rare diagonal (grey-painted) matchboard panelling on the ceiling. This room would once have been divided into three - what was probably the public bar on the right; a jug and bottle bar leading from the now unused door in the centre; and a saloon bar on the left. There is a fairly large room at the back which has a large skylight which suggests that it may have been a billiards room. On the right, behind the large double doors leading from the street is a "function room", which is effectively a small outside conservatory. Past that is an outside area with an outside toilet and storage buildings that may have been stables; then a large covered seating area with its own bar counter; then a large garden at the back.

This history states the pub was bought by Meux the brewers in 1837.

The Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, states the stone outside The Griffin public house which is commonly known as the Whetstone, is in fact a mounting block.

Rex Ward email 5th Sept 2017

I managed to get up to the Griffin. I had a chat with the landlady, who had only been there a short while, but gave me some information. She said that it used to be a coaching inn for travellers heading north out of London; that the pub itself was not listed, but that the building at the back behind the pub (ex stables I would surmise) is Gde II listed. Not had time to check the listing yet. She said that there had been a fire in the late 1920s which possibly preceded and necessitated the 1930s fitting mentioned by John.

Of particular note are the two brick fireplaces, one with a wooden Tudor arch, and another with a brick Tudor arch. The back room with its skylight certainly looked like an old billiards room (the landlady didn't know), and the doors leading from the back room with their Tudor arched tops certainly look inter-war. The bar back looked more modern, but the counter front and wall panelling also looked inter-war. Also of real interest is the matchboard panelled ceiling in the front room (seen in one of the attached photos). The front room would originally have been divided into three areas - a small bar (possibly public) on the right; a jug and bottle bar in the centre (unused doorway still in evidence); and a slightly larger bar (possibly saloon) on the left.