Estate agents sat up and took notice when a landmark Walthamstow pub re-opened its doors last year – even touring prospective tenants through the establishment as a deal-sweetener.
The Bell has been standing on the corner of Forest Road and Chingford Road since at least 1861 and there are many chapters in the pub’s history but the latest, a successful marriage of new and old, is pulling drinkers, diners and property buyers out of the woodwork.
Manager Kevin Woodham said: “We’d only been open two weeks when we opened on a Saturday morning and an estate agent came in to show people around.
“We’ve had people thanking us for increasing property values in the area.”
Since opening in November, after what the landlord calls a ‘sympathetic’ refurbishment, the pub has been lauded for the balance of restoration and has attracted people who have lived in the area all their lives as well as bringing in newcomers.
Kevin said they have people coming in who visited the pub at various stages throughout the last 30 or 40 years and they speak of the pub’s different stages.
Visitors had spoken of times when there were bands in the room next door in the 1960s, complete with rock’n’roll behaviour, and of when Sir Peter Blake used to drink there with his students.
A complete absence of TVs, eight ale pumps featuring boutique ales, large velvet couches, a continually evolving menu and family-friendly feel mean the pub is now more popular with the middle classes.
Kevin, who has locals stop him on the street to say hello, said the constraints of the housing market see a lot of middle class families come to the area, especially in the last two years, and with the pub showing up at the same time the newcomers had taken to it.
He finished by saying that the living, breathing piece of Victorian architecture appealed to people, and that an emphasis on good quality products, constant equipment upkeep and attentive and friendly staff ensure a bright future for the pub and visitors alike.
For more stories in our Your Local series, click here
Review: How does our man Zac rate The Bell?
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here