Thamesmead – The Beer Hunter’s Guide

Our Saturday friendly at Thamesmead offers relatively slim pickings on the beer front, though the place is by no means as uninviting as you might think and we received a warm welcome there last time (no real ale in the club bar but the Guinness was fine).

Near Woolwich Arsenal station you’ll find the Great Harry in Wellington Street (Wetherspoons), with their usual range of good well-priced beer and food, and (in the Royal Arsenal complex itself) the Dial Arch, dating from 1720 and offering a range of Wells/Youngs and locally-brewed Meantime ales on eight handpumps. Gastro-pub food and bar snacks are also available, and the whole historic site is well worth a look round.

However, if you have a bit longer to spare, head for the Albert in Hare Street (near the Woolwich Ferry, which is in any case a much more interesting way to get there).

Universally known to one & all as Rose’s, this friendly traditional Victorian pub offers a varied range of small-brewery beers, proper old-style crusty rolls, a mural of the ferry on a rear wall, and two pet lizards (named Ronnie & Reggie) as well as a pub dog of character.

But beware – once you’re installed here you may be tempted to linger, especially if the weather’s not too good!