Grove tavern to reopen. Fact or fiction.

[Evolverx8]

The pub was never very good and The Dulwich Estate have said that the lease still remains with Stonegate Estates.

Stonegate have been trying to get rid of their lease as it was on the market in 2012 but nobody wants it as a pub as it wasn't well used.

[Townleygreen]

"The pub was never very good"

NOT true. In the 70s it was good, packed, served lovely food, great gardens.

[edhistory]

It was good in the 1960s too.

Southwark Council are putting the pub into an Archaeological Protection Zone (APZ).

[marianne]

I think the Grove Tavern's problems started when they stopped taking table reservations. I took some friends there for dinner one evening only to find a long queue - I was so embarrassed, I never returned.

[Otta]

Being good in the 60s and 70s isn't a good enough reason to take a risk on it now. It was shit from 80s - 00s. Rubbish location, bad and overpriced food.

I hate to see any pub be closed for more flats, but I just can't see this being a successful pub again, and actually that stretch could probably do with a small supermaket type affair.

But yeah, Dulwich Estate are a bunch of bastards and there is no way at all they should be a charity.

[DulwichFox]

I may of mentioned this before, but in a bid to ease parking around Lordship lane area the

Grove what ever it becomes with its large carpark would be ideal for a Park & Ride Scheme..

I have mentioned it before in fact. There you go. I've said it again..

DulwichFox

[HopOne]

When this was last a pub it was a Harvester. Of course it was crap. This doesn't stop it being a good pub under good management. I would say a great location with a big beer garden - could do very well indeed.

[Otta]

One person's great location is another person's busy junction on the south circular.

[Earl Aelfheah]

it's a good location, next to the entrance to the woods and Dulwich Park. It's got a huge garden which could be a big draw for famillies. it would make a good hotel / pub restaurant. Just because people didn't like it when it was a Harvester, doesn't mean it's not viable.

[Otta]

Hmmm.

Well we'll probably never know, as I doubt it'll ever reopen, but I honestly believe it would go unused and close again if someone took a chance on it.

Unless it was true that Wetherspoons were to close the Capitol and open there, I could see tat working. But that's not happening, so it'll probably be flats.

[BrandNewGuy]

rahrahrah Wrote:

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> it's a good location, next to the entrance to the

> woods and Dulwich Park. It's got a huge garden

> which could be a big draw for famillies.

That's if you want to risk life and limb crossing the road from the woods to the pub. Unless that junction is ever sorted out for pedestrians, it's a no-no.

[Earl Aelfheah]

I've never found it particularly difficult to cross there I have to say. I think it would work as a Hotel, with a pub / restaurant attached.

[DulwichFox]

It was a good location many years ago when you could drive to the pub.. That's why it has a vast car park.

People do not generally drive to the pub anymore..

Its not convenient for a family to walk or get buses to the venue. Especially in winter months..

There is far too much going in East Dulwich proper i.e. Lordship Lane to satisfy the majority of local residents.

Cannot see why people would want to stay in a hotel there. Dulwich is hardly a holiday destination and

with many people here thinking transport links to the West End and such not being ideal.

Would be nice to see a pub back there but cannot see it ever being viable. Most of the walkers in the woods

end up in the Dulwich Wood house but not more than a handful of those at weekends and even fewer during the week.

You can walk from the Grove to the Wood House without seeing a soul...

DulwichFox

[bobbsy]

It's a great location if you live up that end of Lordship Lane.

[LondonMix]

I never liked it but we took out the inlaws there once and they loved it and it was very busy. My Father in Law wanted to try it as he saw it on the way to our house. I don't know if it was always that busy (and this was probably almost 10 years ago) but it seemed popular enough that night.

[Otta]

DulwichFox Wrote:

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> Cannot see why people would want to stay in a

> hotel there. Dulwich is hardly a holiday

> destination and

> with many people here thinking transport links to

> the West End and such not being ideal.

I dunno, Dulwich has plenty of families who might not have the space to put up inlaws, and there are regular wedings at Dulwich College, Hornimans or the Gallery, so guests might need a place to stay. Dulwich has always lacked B&B options. But then again they're turning the dog in to a hotel, so maybe that ship has sailed.

[BrandNewGuy]

rahrahrah Wrote:

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> I've never found it particularly difficult to

> cross there I have to say.

Really? Coming from the woods, you can't see if traffic's whizzing round the corner on the South Circular and there's no pedestrian phase. This photo makes it clear how crazy it is to try to cross.

 

[????]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> It was a good location many years ago when you

> could drive to the pub.. That's why it has a vast

> car park.

>

> People do not generally drive to the pub

> anymore..

>

> Its not convenient for a family to walk or get

> buses to the venue. Especially in winter months..

>

> There is far too much going in East Dulwich

> proper i.e. Lordship Lane to satisfy the majority

> of local residents.

>

> Cannot see why people would want to stay in a

> hotel there. Dulwich is hardly a holiday

> destination and

> with many people here thinking transport links to

> the West End and such not being ideal.

>

> Would be nice to see a pub back there but cannot

> see it ever being viable. Most of the walkers in

> the woods

> end up in the Dulwich Wood house but not more

> than a handful of those at weekends and even fewer

> during the week.

> You can walk from the Grove to the Wood House

> without seeing a soul...

>

> DulwichFox

I agree with nearly all of this (you see, it can happen)

[Jeremy]

Did the Harvester shut down before the fire, or did the fire force it to close? I don't remember.

The reason I ask is that plenty of other Harvesters seem to work (i.e. lots of people like them and go to them). So if it's a good location, why didn't this one work?

[Otta]

I stayed in a Travel Lodge the other night and went to a Harvester next door for breakfast. Cracking fry up for a fiver.

[Siduhe]

The Harvester shut down as a Harvester first, was sold as a business I believe, refitted a bit and then reopened as the Grove Tavern. Shortly after the reopening as the Grove Tavern, the fire occurred in the kitchen/back area of the building and it was then closed as a business for good.

[Jah Lush]

When it was converted into a Harvester, all the original fixtures and fittings were ripped out, completely ruining what had once been a lovely pub. I've many happy memories when I used it as a regular Friday night haunt as a teenager in the mid-70s. Those great long hot summers of '75 and '76 stick in the mind as we'd spend most of the time in the garden (where there was another bar) smoking spliff and tripping on acid. Occasionally, we'd walk up through the woods for a few jars up at The Wood House then maybe back to The Grove for last orders.

I think the pub/B&B option would be best to make it a workable pub again and I'm sure plenty of people would use it up this end, I know I would if the right people were to take it over (Prays for Beer Rebellion or Antic) but sadly it looks like Dulwich Estates have other ideas.

[Jeremy]

Otta Wrote:

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> I stayed in a Travel Lodge the other night and

> went to a Harvester next door for breakfast.

> Cracking fry up for a fiver.

It is (IMO) a pretty shit fry-up, but as you say it only costs a fiver which is pretty hard to argue with. And that includes unlimited "continental" buffet too (i.e. jam and toast, and tinned mandarins).

[Otta]

Never going to be a Franklin's fry up for a fiver, but a lot better than I have in many cafes.

Plus I don't really trust people that want posh fry ups.

[DulwichFox]

Travelodge do a breakfast deal.

Rise & Dine

Try our new delicious and unlimited breakfast, for only ?7.95, now served with Lavazza coffee. And remember, kids eat free!

Looks reasonable

Foxy