Victoria, Barking

Re-built c.1961 in red brick to replace a Victorian building nearby. The public bar on the right has a lino floor, a bar counter with fine diagonal panels and inlaid Formica on the top, typical of its time. The bar back appears to be original with illuminated panels over it but sadly 'fridges have replaced most of the lower shelves. The fixed seating retains baffles at both ends and another by a small missing section in the middle – was there a fireplace here originally? Probably not as large radiators heat the room.

There is door on the rear right marked ‘Fire Exit’ but was this the original reason? Gents is unaltered. The lounge on the left has carpet and retains the original counter with padded panels, an original bar back fitting where two 'fridges replace some lower shelves. Above the original fixed seating is vertical fielded panelling and the two large radiators look very 1950s style.

There is an area to the right / public bar side which looks like it should be a separate room but the panels on the walls seem to indicate it was built as an area – there is no sign of a door into this space with fixed seating around a bay window. The only change appears to be the adding of double doors on the front left side to access the smoking area that meant a small section of fixed seating has been lost. A very 1960s feature is the bottles in the wall of both exterior porches – the ones on the left have been painted over.