Enjoy a healthy walk in the countryside and visit some excellent pubs en-route
Bromley CAMRA has identified a network of paths and tracks which link the rural pubs and clubs in Bromley all together (as well as walks to adjoining areas and their hostelries). We have published a series of brief guides for these walks, which range in distance from less than a mile to about 5 miles.
Each of the Bromley Pub Walk Guides briefly describes the route and terrain, lists the pubs/clubs that you can visit, and provides information about public transport.
Almost all of the pubs & clubs are accessible by public transport on at least 6 days of the week, so it’s really easy for drinkers and walkers to get to and from these excellent establishments, to get out into the fresh air, take some exercise and enjoy a drink or two.
Since the first route guides were published in 2019, additional routes have been added and most of the original guides have been updated. Update Spring 2025: All the routes are currently being checked by members of Bromley CAMRA; many have been updated.
A return visit to this long-running annual festival, held in the traditional village hall close to Merstham station. Our plan is to meet at East Croydon station at 11:00am, and then to take the 11:17 or 11:26 train for the 15 minute journey to Merstham. Note that the relatively new “Superloop” SL3 bus service provides a quick and frequent service between Bromley South and East Croydon stations. Full details of the festival can be found here (links to local branch website).
Bromley CAMRA have recently been invited to join a social in St. Albans with Croydon & Sutton branch. Former member of the National Executive – Ben Wilkinson – is also expected to be in attendance. The meeting point is the Great Northern, about 400 metres from St. Albans City station, and then we plan to visit several other pubs thereafter. From Bromley South we plan to catch the 10:33 stopping service to Victoria, then changing at Herne Hill to get the 10:57 to St Albans City. No stairs are involved in making this change at Herne Hill, and St. Albans City is completely step-free. Members who hold 60+ Oyster cards or Freedom passes will need to buy return tickets from Elstree & Borehamwood station. This can be done online in advance. More information about this event to follow.
A social which offers a chance to visit two relatively new venues which have opened on Beckenham Road, together with the long-established and traditional Bricklayers Arms. The first venue is BR3wery, which serves a variety of beers fresh from their nearby brewery. Normally no cask beers are available. It can easily reached by rail (Kent House), tram (Beckenham Road) or bus routes 194, 227 or 358, all of which run frequently. The other two venues included in the social do serve cask ale. The full itinerary for the social is as follows:- 19:20 BR3wery , 255 Beckenham Road, Beckenham BR3 4RP 20.30 Three Hounds Beer Company, 57 Beckenham Road, Beckenham BR3 4PR 21:45 Bricklayers Arms, 237 High Street, Beckenham BR3 1BN.
This social begins at The Bull Inn – a venue which we haven’t visited for more than a year. To get there use the high-frequency bus route 51 (Orpington Station to Woolwich), alighting at The Broomwood. The pub is about 250 metres walk from there, on the other side of the River Cray. The pub was grade II listed in 1973 – one of only three in the borough to have this accolade. The cask ale offerings usually include Landlord and London Pride. Arrival time is 18:30. From there we continue to by bus 51 to Sidcup to visit two micropubs which have now become well-established in the area. These are: 7.30pm. Hackney Carriage, 165 Station Rd, Sidcup DA15 7AA 8.45pm Broken Drum, 308 Westwood Ln, Blackfen DA15 9PT.
Tonight’s meeting is being held in an attractive pub which used to be located on the main road from Bromley to Sidcup – until a new main road was built. So it’s now rather hidden away on a minor road. The only nearby bus routes are the 269 (Bromley North to Bexleyheath) or the 160 if you are travelling from Central Chislehurst. Alight at Ashfield Lane. (The new Superloop SL5 route also passes near but it’s an express service and so rather unhelpfully doesn’t stop here). Bromley CAMRA members who are not on the committee are always welcome to attend committee meetings. Non-committee members planning to attend a meeting may request the Secretary (secretary@bromley.camra.org.uk) to prepare and print a pack of relevant committee papers to be made available at the meeting.
The Hope has frequently been Greater London CAMRA’s Pub of the Year, and its autumn dark beer festival has become an eagerly-anticipated annual event. For those who have never visited before, the pub is no more than 5 minutes walk from Carshalton station which is served by Southern trains from Victoria via Clapham Junction, and by Thameslink services from Blackfriars via Herne Hill. Those who haven’t been for a number of years will notice that this successful community-owned pub has been expanded to the rear with lots more seating now available. If you can’t wait until 5pm, the pub opens at noon.
