Dukes Head

Pub Heritage Group have recently carried out a regrading of Real Heritage Pubs - click here for full details

Greater London South West - Richmond

One star - A pub interior of special national historic interest

Listed Status: Not listed

42 The Vineyard
Richmond
TW10 6AZ

Tel: (020) 8948 4557

Email: patrick.dalton4557@gmail.com

Website https://www.dukesheadrichmond.com/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dukesheadinnrichmond

Real Ale: Yes

Lunchtime Meals: Yes

Evening Meals: Yes

Nearby Station: Richmond (London)

Station Distance: 550m

View on: Whatpub

The dominant feature here is the magnificent Victorian mirrored bar-back, which is clearly original, with a terrific display of classical columns, superb detailing, gold lettering and a stunning top section with an elaborate cornice. 

Built about 1868 with an extension added in 1924. The room on the left contains the servery with the Victorian bar-back, but the panelled counter is very much plainer with simple recessed panels and little console brackets. This area has been opened up, but there are still two distinct areas here; the one at the back has what looks like an inter-war brick fireplace, while the one at the front has an ornate Victorian fireplace with a plaster surround featuring cherubs and urns, which was resited here some years ago from upstairs. To the left of the servery is an entrance, which is effectively an extension of the bar-back and thus has the same eye-catching decor, leading to the saloon where the fittings are very different with what looks like an interwar counter with rounded corners and doors which used to be for servicing beer engines, and another inter-war fireplace. The walls throughout have narrow upright timbers to two-thirds height which are hard to date but look inter-war.

Built about 1868 as Richmond was spreading over the spaces on Richmond Hill, this pub has a prominent position on a street corner, with a three-storey main block and a smaller, two-storey one on the right. An extension was added to the rear in 1924. The stand-out feature is a remarkably florid, mirrored bar-back, no doubt dating from the building of the pub. It has three faces within the L-shaped servery and a terrific display of classical columns and an entablature which has an elaborate cornice sitting on little modillions (that is, the rows of small square blocks on the underside). The panelled counter is very much plainer with simple recessed panels and little console brackets. On the right-hand side was a saloon and here the fittings are very different with what looks like an interwar counter with rounded corners (it has a couple of (now sealed) doors for servicing beer engines). In fact it seems that there was probably more work done at the time, notably the installation of two brick fire surrounds, one on each side of the pub. It’s hard to date the wall treatment with its applied upright timbers. The ornate Victorian fireplace on the left-hand side has, it seems, plaster decoration, and was resited here some years ago from upstairs. There has been quite a bit of opening up, especially on the left-hand side. There was formerly a function room upstairs and between 1985 and 1995 this operated as a small theatre for experimental productions: the upstairs parts were then colonised by the present 11-bedroom B&B accommodation. Hopefully you will not find the large expanses of magenta paint overpowering!

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