Old Red Lion, Kennington

Three-storey pub rebuilt 1933 by London brewers Hoare & Co of Red Lion Brewery, East Smithfield, at about the time they were being taken over by Charrington’s of Mile End. Research by English Heritage as part of their Thematic on Inter-War Urban pubs has identified the architect as Sydney Clark.

This is an excellent example of 'Brewers' Tudor' with its timber-framing exterior with brick infill at first floor level. Until 2010 it was possibly the most intact Brewer's Tudor interwar pub left in the country and it still remains fairly intact with the only changes made by new owners Antic carried at the rear to create a third room with alcoves (formerly the toilets) and adding an open kitchen on the rear left – these changes saw a wide gap created in the rear wall of the right hand bar and most of the rear wall of the left hand bar removed to reveal the kitchen. All the original fittings remain intact and even the inter-war tiled dado of the toilets line the walls of the alcoves.

The interior is split down the middle by a dividing wall with the servery sitting in the centre of the pub and staff have Tudor arched shaped doorways for access between the two sides. Both bars have masses of heavy timbering on the ceiling and walls, most of it with adze marks to create a sense of antiquity. There are two low (5 feet 6 ins.) narrow doorways at each end of the servery giving access from one side of the pub to the other; over one doorway a glazed panel with a Toby jug (the emblem of Hoare's, which was later adopted by Charringtons); over the other a glazed panel with a red lion.

The left door leads to a narrow bar with a bare wood floor and popular with diners. There is a timber baffle by the door with Tudor arch detailing. The original panelled bar counter on a raised tiled base remains as does the bar back with a Tudor arch shaped top section with carved decoration including grapes in the spandrels. But the lower shelves have been lost to fridges. On the left are two red painted Tudor-style fireplace surrounds with metal hoods and architect Sidney Clarke trademark spiral brick columns. Above are mock-heraldic cartouches featuring a Toby jug above the left one and a red lion above the right one. In between them is a built-in picture depicting the landing of Bonnie Prince Charlie in Scotland.

The right hand main bar has a wood block floor and a timber baffle by the door with Tudor arch detailing. The original panelled bar counter on a raised tiled base remains as does the bar back with a Tudor arch shaped top section with carved decoration including grapes in the spandrels. But the lower shelves have been lost to fridges. On the rear right is a red painted Tudor-style fireplace surround with a metal hood and architect Sidney Clarke trademark spiral brick columns and above is another heraldic shield. The toilets are now downstairs. On the left the single storey former off licence shop remains but is disused and there are plans to add more stories and create a function room.