PubsandBeer
The Hope (Free House)
| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Monkey - Right Turn Clyde! |  | 1 |
| Brodie's (latterly contract brewed by Rhymney) - Shoreditch Sunshine |  | 1 |
| Dark Star - Hophead Dry | | 1 |
| Downlands (formerly South Downs) - Bramber | | 1 |
| Downlands (formerly South Downs) - Root Thirteen | | 1 |
| Downton - New Forest Ale | | 3 |
| Fallen - Local Motive |  | 1 |
| Five Points - Railway Porter | | 1 |
| Fyne - Gengy's Drop | | 1 |
| Hastings - Hastings Porter | | 1 |
| Hastings - Simcoe Centennial | | 1 |
| Kent - Altered States | | 1 |
| Kent - Porter | | 1 |
| Magic Rock - Dark Arts | | 1 |
| Magic Rock - Ringmaster | | 1 |
| Marble - Tuckerlovsky | | 1 |
| Northern Monk/Wander Beyond/Old Chimneys Collaboration - Dark & Wild City | | 1 |
| Redemption - Fellowship Porter | | 1 |
| Siren Craft - Sound Wave | | 1 |
| Siren Craft - Suspended In Loral | | 1 |
| Siren Craft - Vermont Tea Party | | 1 |
| Surrey Hills - Shere Drop | | 5 |
| Tiny Rebel - Fugg LIfe | | 1 |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Naked Ladies | | 1 |
| Wantsum - Imperium | | 1 |
| Wimbledon - XXK | | 1 |
| Windsor & Eton - Knight of the Garter | | 3 |
| Wylam - 008 Mosaic | | 1 |
| Arbor Ales - Beech Blonde | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ascot - Anastasia's Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Beatnikz Republic - Cortado | Not Tried | 0 |
| Blue Monkey - Guerrilla Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Bristol Beer Factory - Future Proof | Not Tried | 0 |
| Brodie's (latterly contract brewed by Rhymney) - London Fields Pale Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Burning Sky - Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Crouch Vale - Brewers Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hopcraft (experimental side of Pixie Spring) - Diggin' Up The King | Not Tried | 0 |
| Iron Pier - Milk Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Iron Pier - Speyside BA Export Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Kent - Comfortably Plum | Not Tried | 0 |
| Kent - Simcoe | Not Tried | 0 |
| Kissingate - Murder of Crows | Not Tried | 0 |
| Kissingate - Raspberry En Plus | Not Tried | 0 |
| Kissingate - Six Crows | Not Tried | 0 |
| Kissingate - Stout Extreme Jamaica | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - London Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Magic Rock - High Wire | Not Tried | 0 |
| Moor - Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakham - Citra | Not Tried | 0 |
| Pig & Porter - Lilac Time Mild | Not Tried | 0 |
| Redemption - Urban Dusk | Not Tried | 0 |
| Rooster's - London Thunder | Not Tried | 0 |
| Siren Craft - Shattered Dream | Not Tried | 0 |
| Surrey Hills - Albury Ruby | Not Tried | 0 |
| Surrey Hills - Gilt Complex | Not Tried | 0 |
| Triple fff - Jabberwocky | Not Tried | 0 |
| Weird Beard - Knight In Sour Armour | Not Tried | 0 |
| Weird Beard - Mariana On Mango | Not Tried | 0 |
| Weird Beard - Mutiny On The Bunty | Not Tried | 0 |
| Weird Beard - Sadako | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wiper and True - Blackberry Porter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wylam - Anatomy Of Taverns | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
29 Nov 2019 (Magnus Greel)
I joined my group at 12.20 who'd arrived here earlier before opening time and had to join the queue to get in, no doubt in reaction to this weekend's popular dark beer festival. My first visit here and took advantage of the good value food menu, plumped for the beef stew at £6.50 in some pubs you pay that just for a baked spud!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Monk/Wander Beyond/Old Chimneys Collaboration - Dark & Wild City | 7.40 | | Rich sweet aroma paired with chocolate cream and vanilla flavours made for a fine liquid dessert |
| Windsor & Eton - Knight of the Garter | 3.80 | | Fruit punch with good carbonation |
| Siren Craft - Suspended In Loral | 4.00 | | Hazy grapfruit sweet and sherberty concoction |
| Surrey Hills - Albury Ruby | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Downton - New Forest Ale | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Five Points - Railway Porter | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Shattered Dream | 9.80 | Not Tried | |
| Burning Sky - Porter | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Kissingate - Murder of Crows | 10.00 | Not Tried | |
| Pig & Porter - Lilac Time Mild | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Rooster's - London Thunder | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Speyside BA Export Porter | 7.30 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Comfortably Plum | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Iron Pier - Milk Stout | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Bristol Beer Factory - Future Proof | 3.30 | Not Tried | |
| Moor - Porter | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Beatnikz Republic - Cortado | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Wiper and True - Blackberry Porter | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Weird Beard - Mutiny On The Bunty | 5.70 | Not Tried | |
| Weird Beard - Knight In Sour Armour | 6.30 | Not Tried | |
| Wylam - Anatomy Of Taverns | 6.30 | Not Tried | |
| Kissingate - Raspberry En Plus | 7.00 | Not Tried | |
| Weird Beard - Sadako | 9.50 | Not Tried | |
| Weird Beard - Mariana On Mango | 7.10 | Not Tried |
18 Aug 2018 (ChrisE)
Afternoon and evening visit for a friend's 80th birthday party, naturally a very busy event for a popular regular at this splendid pub. Beer was being drunk at an impressive rate and many beers ran out to be replaced on the pumps soon afterwards. An excellent free buffet was provided.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surrey Hills - Shere Drop | 4.20 | | |
| Downton - New Forest Ale | 3.80 | | |
| Wantsum - Imperium | 4.00 | | This replaced one of the beers that ran out. |
| Five Points - Railway Porter | 4.80 | | Superb, it did not take long for this beer to run out. |
| Marble - Tuckerlovsky | 4.70 | | Not to my taste. This replaced the Magic Rock beer when that ran out. |
| Oakham - Citra | 4.20 | Not Tried | I think this ran out during the afternoon. |
| Windsor & Eton - Knight of the Garter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Magic Rock - High Wire | 5.50 | Not Tried | This ran out. |
| Kissingate - Six Crows | 6.60 | Not Tried |
26 Nov 2017 (ChrisE)
Sunday from 12:00 opening until about 17:00ish with a large group of friends from various parts of the country. We took over the room at the back whilst the rest of the pub was full with a good mix of customers. Service was excellent despite the pub being busy.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siren Craft - Sound Wave | 5.60 | | |
| Downlands (formerly South Downs) - Bramber | 4.50 | | |
| Wimbledon - XXK | 4.80 | | |
| Magic Rock - Ringmaster | 3.90 | | |
| Ascot - Anastasia's Stout | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Downton - New Forest Ale | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Windsor & Eton - Knight of the Garter | 3.80 | Not Tried |
29 Jun 2017 (Stephen Harris)
This is my thirteenth out of thirteen visits in recent weeks to CAMRA London Region Pubs of the Year, on judging duties. What a mixed bag they are, although this one is a perennial favourite. And there just happens to be a beer festival on tonight, of which I had not been aware. Only the beers I drank are listed.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fallen - Local Motive | 3.90 | | Wow. This beer really nails the low strength / high hops category. |
| Tiny Rebel - Fugg LIfe | 4.20 | | Golden IPA brewed with all-UK hops but tasting very modern. |
| Fyne - Gengy's Drop | 3.50 | | A golden beer, well-hopped with Sorachi Ace, Nelson Sauvin and Citra. Very dry; shockingly so after the beer that had gone before. |
| Wylam - 008 Mosaic | 3.90 | | You can’t go far wrong with Mosaic, and this is a cracker. |
| Surrey Hills - Shere Drop | 4.20 | | A steady, golden beer. Nothing spectacular, but very drinkable. |
13 Jul 2016 (ChrisE)
From 12:00 opening for a couple of hours, lunch consisted of one of their excellent filled rolls for £1.50. One of the customers played the piano in the rear bar. In addition to the cask beers listed below we enjoyed some Hopus served in the correct glasses but with shots glasses for the sediment.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windsor & Eton - Knight of the Garter | 3.80 | | |
| Downlands (formerly South Downs) - Root Thirteen | 3.60 | | Very good. This beer ran out soon afterwards. |
| Siren Craft - Vermont Tea Party | 3.60 | | This replaced the Downland Thirteen when that beer ran out. |
| Surrey Hills - Gilt Complex | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Downton - New Forest Ale | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Urban Dusk | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Fellowship Porter | 5.10 | Not Tried |
24 Jan 2016 (ChrisE)
Lunchtime start for a long afternoon session with a large group of friends. The pub was busy all afternoon. I have listed most, but not all the beers that were available.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Naked Ladies | 4.40 | | A new cask on. |
| Downton - New Forest Ale | 3.80 | | |
| Kent - Porter | 5.50 | | |
| Dark Star - Hophead Dry | 3.80 | | |
| Windsor & Eton - Knight of the Garter | 3.80 | | |
| Blue Monkey - Right Turn Clyde! | 4.30 | | |
| Blue Monkey - Guerrilla Stout | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Triple fff - Jabberwocky | 5.00 | Not Tried |
30 Aug 2014 (ChrisE)
17:00 and absolutely packed both inside and in the garden area. There was a beer festival, a hog roast, a 76th birthday party and a good crowd from the Society for the preservation of beer from the wood. I had originally intended asking whether this pub should continue to be shown on this site as Punch Taverns as the locals have taken on a 20 year free of tie lease from Punch and are operating as 48 West Limited.
Beers were running out and being changed frequently so I have only listed the one that I drank.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surrey Hills - Shere Drop | 4.20 | |
28 Aug 2014 (HSB)
12:15 Our monthly gathering of old railwaymen. We were joined by the birthday boy mentioned in Chris E's post. Very busy with beers being changed regularly.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hastings - Hastings Porter | 4.50 | | Very flavoursome |
| Surrey Hills - Shere Drop | 4.20 | | |
| Downton - New Forest Ale | 3.80 | | |
| Hastings - Simcoe Centennial | 5.50 | | |
| Crouch Vale - Brewers Gold | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Windsor & Eton - Knight of the Garter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - London Porter | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Arbor Ales - Beech Blonde | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Simcoe | 4.50 | Not Tried |
01 Jul 2014 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening. Meaning to come here for some time with all its declared accolades.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surrey Hills - Shere Drop | 4.20 | | Best beer of the Carshalton evening crawl and all the better for a pub branded lined glass |
| Downton - New Forest Ale | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Windsor & Eton - Knight of the Garter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Mad Squirrel (formerly Red Squirrel) - London Porter | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Brodie's (latterly contract brewed by Rhymney) - London Fields Pale Ale | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Hopcraft (experimental side of Pixie Spring) - Diggin' Up The King | 4.90 | Not Tried | |
| Kissingate - Stout Extreme Jamaica | 6.00 | Not Tried |
03 May 2014 (thebrewingman)
Saturday lunchtime. Good bunch in.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redemption - Fellowship Porter | 5.10 | | |
| Magic Rock - Dark Arts | 6.00 | | |
| Brodie's (latterly contract brewed by Rhymney) - Shoreditch Sunshine | 3.80 | | |
| Kent - Altered States | 4.70 | | |
| Downton - New Forest Ale | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Windsor & Eton - Knight of the Garter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Magic Rock - High Wire | 5.50 | Not Tried |
About The Hope
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
| 12 |
| 48 |
| 31 |
 | 5 |
 | - |
The pub is found in Carshalton, Greater London, SM5 2PR.
Town pub in West Street with an island bar surrounded by several distinct drinking areas. Handy for Carshalton Athletic FC. CAMRA Greater London Regional Pub of the Year 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2019 and in 2023 too. Last 4 finalist of the CAMRA National Pub of the Year competition 2013. SPBW London Pub of the Year 2016. Most recently local CAMRA branch Pub of the Year 2022 & 2023. 7 handpumps but with an increasing propensity to sell craft keg beers. Initially run by a share-owning co-operative (32 shareholders) on a 20 year free of all tie lease from Punch Taverns. Reported in June / July 2015 CAMRA London Drinker magazine that the freehold had now been purchased.
We have visited this pub 25 times, seen 112 different beers and tried 76 of them.
Postcode: SM5 2PR