Sultan, South Wimbledon

The original Sultan was destroyed by bombs in February 1944. The present pub was built of brick in the 1950s and is a remarkably intact survivor of the early post-war period. Originally an Allied Breweries pub, it was rescued from likely permanent closure in 1994 by Hop Back Brewery. All the indications are that it was always just two rooms – public bar on the left (not always open – but accessible via the gents’) and the saloon bar on the right – look for the wording in the disused door on Norman Road (left) side and the rear right door (however, confusingly, there is a ‘Public Bar’ wording above the right hand front door on Deburgh Road – but not one above the left-hand door so maybe a recent move, which is quite likely as the right-hand saloon bar now acts as the main bar).

The public bar on the left retains its original counter of a distinctive 1950s style with the front now painted a deep pink, original bar back of shelves on ply panelling with some mirrored panels, but fridges have replaced the lower shelves. Around the small room is a dado of 1950s ribbed hardboard now painted a deep pink and there are two small 1950s brick fireplaces. At the rear left an internal door leads to a lobby now used for storage and the exterior door here is labeled ‘Public Bar’.

The saloon bar on the right retains the original counter of a distinctive 1950s style with the front now painted a deep pink, original bar back of shelves on ply panelling with some mirrored panels where two small fridges have replaced some, but not all, of the lower shelves. Within the back fittings there is a dumb waiter that would have been used for moving bottled beers to and from the cellar. Above the servery is a very characteristic c.1960 canopy of pegboard tiles with a 1950s ribbed hardboard edging now painted a deep pink. There are three small 1950s brick fireplaces and around the room are two types of panelling – tall ply panels reaching to picture-frame height either side of the servery and around the rear right fireplace; elsewhere, a dado of 1950s ribbed hardboard now painted a deep pink. On the rear right is an exterior door with the wording ‘Saloon Bar’ and the figure ‘1’ on the back of the door.

The gents’ is accessible from both the public and saloon bars and retains its original wall tiles, floor tiles and urinals and the ladies’ is also similarly intact. A conservatory has been added onto the right-hand side of the building in recent years.