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The Devonshire (Young's)

Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Bombardier (was Bombardier Glorious English) (use Eagle entry now please)Good1
Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Naked LadiesAcceptable1
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Young's London GoldNot Tried0
Banks's - Young's London Original (was Bitter) - previously brewed in Bedford and at WychwoodNot Tried0
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Young's London Special (was Special)Not Tried0
Sambrook's - WandleNot Tried0
Picture 1. The Devonshire, Balham, Greater London
Picture 2. The Devonshire, Balham, Greater London
Picture 3. The Devonshire, Balham, Greater London
Michael Croxford

Visits Details

21 May 2015 (HSB)
16:45 7th pub. Added to the crawl to see if it still retained enough old fittings to feature on the CAMRA Heritage website. Sadly not. The grid design on the ceiling remains, as do an array of etched and coloured mirrors on the right hand wall. I examined the mirrors closely and noted that some have cut scalloped edges, but others have the same design but are not etched so may be modern copies. I don't know what it is about gastro pubs but they seem to have had the pub atmosphere removed along with the old fittings.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Naked Ladies4.40AcceptableYet another hazy pint.
Banks's - Young's London Original (was Bitter) - previously brewed in Bedford and at Wychwood3.70Not Tried
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Young's London Special (was Special)4.50Not Tried
Sambrook's - Wandle3.80Not Tried
10 Sep 2013 (Philip Pirrip)
Early evening - only a few in. A travesty of the quite basic (albeit ornate) boozer I last visited here - still that is the way Young's is going here and elsewhere unfortunately.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Bombardier (was Bombardier Glorious English) (use Eagle entry now please)4.10GoodI was shaken in my boots to be charged £6.04 for a pint plus peanuts. I think I should need Mark Carney and his Monetary Policy Committee's help if ever considering a re-visit, which I shall not
Banks's - Young's London Original (was Bitter) - previously brewed in Bedford and at Wychwood3.70Not Tried
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Young's London Special (was Special)4.50Not Tried1st time I have seen the new Luggage Tag style pumpclips. This one carries a signature and beneath it Bob Nisbet Young's Brewmaster. Presumably this is meant to read Wells & Young's Brewmaster as Young's Brewery is long defunct
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Young's London Gold4.00Not Tried

About The Devonshire

The pub sign. The Devonshire, Balham, Greater London

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional-
Excellent-
Good1
Acceptable1
Poor-

Website.

The pub is found in Balham, Greater London, SW12 9AN.

Pub in Balham High Road previously known as the Duke of Devonshire. This is a substantial detached brick, corner-site pub, probably refitted in the late 1890s when, no doubt, the pink granite facing was fitted on the ground floor. There has been a great deal of opening out and replacement of fittings internally but the pub is still noted for the startling and impressive amount of high quality glass. Most notable is the row of etched and coloured mirrors lining the blind wall of the front bar, and also the etched mirror glass in the bar-back in the rear saloon / restaurant. There are doors with etched and coloured glass bearing the name ‘saloon’. In complete contrast is the inter-war glass in the front bar outside windows where pretty, coloured pieces are interspersed randomly in the rippled and plain panes. The bar counter in the front bar is probably late-Victorian. The grid design of the ceilings throughout is also notable. A comparatively recent chic updating has added new colour decorations and soft furnished seating in the front bar. The rear bar / restaurant has visible kitchen views. "Secret" garden at the rear and an awning covered street fronting paved outside area at the front. 4 handpumps in the front bar and 4 in the rear / restaurant too.

We have visited this pub twice, seen 6 different beers and tried 2 of them.

Map location

Postcode: SW12 9AN