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.
The annual visit to the Crystal Palace triangle, which is organised as a joint event with the CAMRA branches from SE London and from Croydon & Sutton. Crystal Palace is a meeting point of the three branches. You are welcome to join for either all of the route or just a small part! Please note that some venues may accept card payments only. The first pub – the Douglas Fir – is located between Crystal Palace and Anerley Rail/London Overground stations. Bus travellers should use routes 157, 249, 358 or 432 and alight at Thicket Road / Madeline Road. The itinerary is as follows:- 12:00 Douglas Fir, 144 Anerley Rd, Anerley SE20 8DL 12:50 Alma, 95 Church Rd, Crystal Palace SE19 2TA Further pubs to be visited will be decided on the day, and could include any of the following. White Hart, 96 Church Rd, Upper Norwood SE19 2EZ Sparrowhawk, 2 Westow [.....]
The club is comfortable and spacious, and there is a range of mainly mainstream real ales. It is a short walk from Hayes station. Bus users should use routes 119, 138, 246, 314 or 353, and alight at Hayes Station. Your CAMRA card will be needed to guarantee access. From there we make the short walk (about 5 minutes) to the Real Ale Way, arriving at about 20:00.
Our meeting point for this social is the Bricklayers Arms which is located about 10 minutes walk from Bromley South station, and is also passed by numerous bus routes including routes 61, 208, 261, 320, 336 and 358. Alight at the Bertha James Centre if the bus is heading toward Central Bromley, or at the Homesdale Road stop if you are travelling in the other direction. Please note that the the pub changed ownership in August 2026, and this will be our first social there since the change. It is now a Marlowe’s pub. The remainder of the itinerary for the evening is as follows :- 7.40pm Cork ‘n Cask, 139 Masons Hill BR2 9HW 8.30pm Richmal Crompton, Unit 23, Westmoreland Place BR1 1DS. 9.20pm Partridge, 194 High St, Bromley BR1 1HE 10.10pm Star & Garter, 227 High St. BR1 1NZ.
Many readers of the diary will be aware of the large number of micropubs which have opened in the Bexley CAMRA area over the last few years. We have noticed that many of them are situated close to bus routes, so our social secretary (Barry) has used that fact to plan this social. The first pub – the Broken Drum – is most easily reached by bus. Bus travel from Bromley will vary depending on your starting point, so the best bet is to use the TfL journey planner. However for many in our our area the best route will be to use the high-frequency route 51 from Orpington bus station (next to the railway station) and alight at Wellington Avenue/Blackfen Road. The schedule is as follows:- 12:00 Broken Drum , 308 Westwood Lane, Blackfen DA15 9PT 13:15 Door Hinge, 11 High St. Welling DA16 1TR 15:15 Bolthole, 12 Falconwood [.....]
The autumnal equinox occurs on the 23rd this year (UK time) so before the nights draw in properly, we have a chance to visit the picturesque village of Downe which can easily be reached by bus and contains two well-regarded pubs which both serve cask ale. The village can be reached by the 146 from Bromley North/South or the R8 (Orpington station to Biggin Hill) and alight at the terminus in Downe Village. But the services are infrequent (approximately hourly for the 146 and every 90 minutes for the R8) so check the timetable, and in the case of the R8 check the return times as well because it doesn’t normally run at all after mid-evening. At the time of writing, the last 146 leaves Downe at 11.20pm. The social begins at the George and Dragon at 7.30pm before continuing a few yards to the Queens Head at 8.30pm.
Venue: Orpington Liberal Club, 7 Station Road, Orpington BR6 0RZ 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 club is a few minutes walk from Orpington station, directly opposite the entrance to the Tesco Extra car park. Several bus routes pass close by, including the 208 and 358. Don’t forget your CAMRA membership card as it is required for entry. The club only accepts card payments, not cash.
