Pub Heritage Prince Alfred
Greater London West - Maida Vale
Three star - A pub interior of exceptional national historic importance
Listed Status: II*
5A Formosa StreetMaida Vale
W9 1EE
Tel: (020) 7286 3287
Email: princealfred@youngs.co.uk
Website https://www.theprincealfred.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PrinceAlfredMaidaVale
Real Ale: Yes
Lunchtime Meals: Yes
Evening Meals: Yes
Nearby Station: London Paddington
Station Distance: 1100m
Public Transport: Near Railway Station (Paddington) and Bus Stop
Bus: Yes
View on: Whatpub
A truly astonishing, unique survivor. The Prince Alfred has the only peninsula-style servery to retain all of its original surrounding drinking areas – no fewer than five of them, each with its own external entrance. The building went up in about 1865 but was given a complete refit around 1898. Outside one can see the exposed ceiling on the ground floor and how the curvaceous timber and glass screenwork has been inserted later, cutting across the patterned decoration. Note the tiles and mosaic in the left-hand entrance. The main space is divided up by timber and glass screens, all of them with a low service door for use by, say, pot-boys and cleaners. The smallest compartment has a set of snob screens, an extraordinarily rare survival. In the middle of the servery is a wonderfully tall carved fitment, which is secured to the ceiling by ironwork. All this late Victorian work gives the pub a delicate Rococo feel. A refit in 2001 transformed the character into a café-restaurant establishment at the rear with an over-prominent kitchen and dining room: the counter was refronted at this time.
The Prince Alfred is the best example now existing of how London pubs about 1900 were divided up into numerous separate spaces, each occupied by a particular group of individuals and social groups. The layout of many small drinking compartments is a style also seen at the Argyll Arms, Soho, London W1, Princess Louise, Holborn, London WC1 and Salisbury, Covent Garden, London WC1.
Outside, the Prince is nothing terribly exciting – a three-storey Italianate building in keeping with its surroundings – but inside shows to perfection how late Victorian drinkers liked their pubs. The building went up in about 1865 but was given a complete refit around 1898. From outside look carefully at the exposed ceiling on the ground floor and you can see how timber and glass screen-work has been inserted, cutting across the patterned decoration. Also note the tiles and mosaic in the entrance.
The interior has the only peninsula-style servery to retain all of its original surrounding drinking areas – no fewer than five of them, each with its own external entrance. They are separated by timber and glass screens, all of them with a low service door for the use of, say, pot boys and cleaners. The smallest compartment has a set of snob screens – swivelling glazed panels, which gave posh patrons a sense of separation from the serving staff. Other Heritage Pubs with snob screens are Bartons Arms, Aston, Birmingham; Lamb, London WC1; Posada, Wolverhampton , West Midlands; Starting Gate, London N22; Bunch of Grapes, London SW3; Crown, London N1; and Crown & Greyhound, London SE21 but these have been moved.
In the middle of the servery is a wonderfully tall, carved fitment, which is secured to the ceiling by ironwork. All this late Victorian work gives the pub a delicate Rococo feel. A refit in 2001 transformed the character into a café-restaurant establishment with over-prominent kitchen and dining room, and totally inappropriate furnishings in the historic part: counter re-fronted at this time.
