The Duke of Sussex Public House

The Duke of Sussex is a public house and dining room in Acton Green, in the northern Chiswick district of west London. It stands prominently on a corner facing Acton Green common, at the junction of Beaconsfield Road and Acton Lane. The present building was constructed in 1897 by the Cannon Brewery of Clerkenwell and opened in 1898, replacing an earlier beerhouse that had existed on the site since at least 1842. It is named after Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex (1773–1843), a son of King George III and an uncle of Queen Victoria. The building is Grade II listed and is noted for its elaborate decoration, designed by the specialist pub architects Shoebridge & Rising. It has two storeys with dormer windows in the attic and cellars below. The main front faces east onto Beaconsfield Road and is divided into three bays, two of which have dormers, separated by a small half-round Diocletian window; the third bay is an extension housing the kitchens and staircase. The walls are finished in white stucco, with the first storey hung in flat red tiles. The first-storey and attic windows below the dormers are projecting "Ipswich oriels" in the style of Norman Shaw, set under ornamental cornices. The ground-floor bar area has large arched windows and an elaborate corner doorway, while the north doorway is adorned with ornamental ironwork. Inside, the pub was formerly divided into four bar rooms but is now open-plan around a central bar. Parts of the original partitioning survive, and the interior is described as an unusually rich turn-of-the-century pub interior. From the north doorway, a mosaic-paved path leads to the former billiard room, now used as the restaurant. That room has a large skylight with arched cast-iron brackets and a panelled wooden border decorated with painted swags and cherubs. The business describes itself as a "pub and dining room" with a beer garden. Its menu includes tapas and other Spanish dishes. The Good Pub Guide calls it an "attractive Victorian local with unexpectedly large back garden", noting the horseshoe-shaped central counter, the chandeliers and the "splendid skylight", and mentions "interesting modern food including shared platters". Harden's restaurant guide describes it as "a very traditional pub" with a "lovely patio garden, ideal for the summer". Time Out found the pub "lively" with good beer, and especially admired the "beautiful restaurant room" with its skylight and "cherubs to acknowledge its loftiness", also praising the range of tapas and Spanish main dishes and the cheeseboard with both familiar and less usual Spanish varieties.

The Duke of Sussex stands on a site that has hosted a beerhouse since at least 1842. The present public house was built in 1897 by the Cannon Brewery of Clerkenwell and opened in 1898. It replaced the earlier beerhouse and was designed by the pub architects Shoebridge & Rising, whose work gave the building its "elaborately decorated" character. The pub is named for Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex (1773–1843), son of King George III and uncle of Queen Victoria. The building is prominently situated on a corner facing Acton Green common, at the corner of Beaconsfield Road and Acton Lane in the northern Chiswick district of Acton Green, west London. It is Grade II listed. Architecturally, it has two storeys with dormer windows for the attic and cellars below. The main front faces east onto Beaconsfield Road, with three bays, two of them with dormers, separated by a small half-round Diocletian window; the third bay is an extension to house the kitchens and staircase. The walls are covered in white stucco, with the first storey hung with flat red tiles. The first-storey and attic windows below the dormers are projecting "Ipswich oriels" in the style of Norman Shaw under ornamental cornices. The ground-floor bar area has big arched windows and an elaborate corner doorway; the doorway to the north is adorned with ornamental ironwork. Inside, the pub formerly had four bar rooms but is now open-plan with a central bar. Parts of the original interior partitioning survive, providing what has been described as "an unusually rich, turn-of-the-century pub interior". From the north doorway the floor is paved with mosaic, forming a path that leads to the former billiard room. That room, now used as the restaurant, has a large skylight with arched cast-iron brackets and a panelled wooden border decorated with painted swags and cherubs. In the present day, the business describes itself as a "pub and dining room" with a beer garden. Its menu includes tapas and other Spanish dishes. The Good Pub Guide calls it an "attractive Victorian local with unexpectedly large back garden", noting the horseshoe-shaped central counter, the chandeliers and the "splendid skylight", and mentions "interesting modern food including shared platters". Harden's restaurant guide calls the Duke of Sussex "a very traditional pub" with a "lovely patio garden, ideal for the summer". Time Out found the pub "lively" with good beer, but especially admired the "beautiful restaurant room" with its skylight and "cherubs to acknowledge its loftiness". It liked the range of tapas and Spanish main dishes, as well as the cheeseboard with both familiar and less usual Spanish varieties.

• 1898

  The Duke of Sussex public house opens.

• 1897

  The current building is constructed by the Cannon Brewery, Clerkenwell.

• 1842

  An earlier beerhouse is recorded on the site.

Traditional Victorian pub with an unusually rich historic interior, offering Spanish-influenced food in a relaxed local setting.

• Beer

• Tapas

• Spanish main dishes

• Shared platters

• Cheeseboard

1. 1Wikidata: The Duke Of Sussex Public Housewikidata.org
2. 2Wikipedia: Duke of Sussex, Acton Greenen.wikipedia.org
3. 3Official websiterealpubs.co.uk