Baring Hall Hotel

Above postcard, date unknown.

Above postcard, date unknown.

Above photo, date unknown.

Above postcard, circa 1909.

Above photo, circa 1909, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. At the time this photograph was taken, the pub was a tied house within the estate of Nalder & Collyer's Croydon Brewery, which could trace its history back to the latter part of the 16th century.

Above a circa 1920 beer label.

Above photo, circa 1909. Close up of building.

Above photo, 2018.

Above photo, 2018.

Above photo, 2018.

Above photo, 2018.

Above photo, 2018.

Above photo, 2018.

Above photo, 2018.

Above photo, 2018.

Above photo, 2019.

Above photo 2019.

Above photo 2019.

Above photo, 2019.

Above sign left, June 1991. Sign right, date unknown.

With thanks from Brian Curtis www.innsignsociety.com.

Above photo 2021.

From the https://www.fromthemurkydepths.co.uk By J Smith, 8 May 2024.

Plans in to renovate Baring Hall Grove Park pub and hotel.

Plans have been submitted to renovate and rebuild the Baring Hall Hotel in Grove Park.

The building was Grade II listed in 2018 and operated by Antic until March 2020.

It was purchased by the current owner in 2023 who was also behind the restoration of The Lord Northbrook on Burnt Ash Road.

Proposed elevation post renovation.

The proposal includes “internal and external alterations, a single-storey kitchen extension and installation of associated extraction vents, conversion of the first and second floor to 10 letting rooms, rebuild of the stable block to provide 6 letting rooms and improvements to the external patio area”.

The former pub and hotel is a prominent local landmark very close to Grove Park station seeing high footfall at the corner of Baring Hall Road and Downham Way.

Ghost sign.

Alongside changes previously mentioned, the application notes that one side of the building “will be rendered and finished with a feature ‘ghost’ type sign”.

Applicant seeking to rebuild building in poor shape. Image: Planning application.

A Heritage Statement within the application covers the site’s history:

“The Baring Hall Hotel has considerable significance as one of the few extant traces of the Grove Park suburb, inspired by the success of the world famous Bedford Park in West London and promoted by the Baring family to designs by Ernest Newton.”

Architect Ernest Newton designed a number of buildings in south east London including St Swithun’s Church in Hither Green and the "Royal Bell Hotel" in Bromley which saw plans for extension approved in 2018.

From the https://www.newsshopper.co.uk 15th July 2026 by Emily Davison.

Baring Hall Hotel Grove Park: Refurbishment works begin to restore pub.

The Baring Hall Hotel is Grove Park's only pub but has been shut for years. (Image: The Baring Trust)

Works have finally begun to restore a 19th-century pub in Grove Park that has been left vacant for six years.

The Baring Hall Hotel, Grove Park's only pub, has been a landmark in the community since it was built in the early 1880s.

Designed by renowned architect Ernest Newton, it is regarded as one of England's earliest "improved pubs", created to attract middle-class customers with features such as multiple drinking and dining rooms, hot food and coffee facilities.

Over its long history, the Grade II-listed building survived bomb damage during the Second World War as well as two major fires, becoming an important part of Grove Park's heritage.

However, after years of decline and uncertainty, the pub closed in 2020 and has remained vacant ever since.

The pub's future has been the subject of a lengthy campaign involving residents, community groups and The Baring Trust, which helped fight plans to demolish the building in 2011.

Their efforts secured both Grade II-listed status and designation as an Asset of Community Value. In 2023, publican Gary Mallen took over the site and submitted plans to restore the historic pub, including new letting rooms and the rebuilding of the derelict stable block.

Lewisham Council approved the proposals and granted listed building consent in November 2024, although further detailed information was required to protect the building's historic features before work could begin.

The site has remained on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register throughout this period, with its condition assessed as poor and vulnerable, leading up to the start of the restoration works.

Owner Gary Mallen has confirmed early works have already been carried out at the site, including the demolition of the side extension and the derelict stables building, which took place earlier this month.

He said work on the main restoration project is now set to begin, almost three years after he purchased the pub and first submitted planning applications.

He said the lengthy planning process had significantly delayed the scheme but that work is now moving forward.

Once complete, the restored Baring Hall Hotel will reopen as a pub with accommodation above, re-establishing Grove Park's only pub after years of closure.

A separate planning application has been submitted seeking to amend a condition attached to the approved scheme.

The change would allow work on the stable block to continue after the main pub and hotel accommodation have reopened, rather than requiring all elements of the project to be completed at the same time.

The owner said this would allow him to assess demand for additional accommodation before deciding whether the stable block should provide further letting rooms or be used for an alternative purpose, such as a function space.

Lewisham Council has welcomed progress at the site, noting that permission has already been granted for the restoration works.

Cllr Daniel Dream, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Regeneration, Planning and Housing Delivery, said: "The Baring Hall Hotel is an important part of Grove Park's history, and we know how much local people want to see this much-loved building restored and brought back into use.

"Planning permission and listed building consent were previously granted for works to restore the building, including internal and external alterations, a kitchen extension, improvements to the external patio area, conversion of the upper floors to letting rooms, and the rebuilding of the former stable block for more letting rooms.

"As this is a privately owned site, the detailed construction programme is a matter for the owner and their contractors.

"We will continue to monitor the works through the normal planning and listed building processes to make sure the building's historic character is protected.

"We look forward to seeing new life and an improved appearance brought to this prominent local site, supporting local activity and contributing to the ongoing regeneration of the area."