Erith: The Bexley neighbourhood with almost no pubs left

Erith in Bexley once had a row of pubs next to the town’s iconic pier, but now only two pubs remain on the long street by the River Thames. Meanwhile the town of Surbiton in West London, also in Zone 6, has over a dozen pubs within a ten-minute walk of the station.

As a whole, Bexley has seen 41 pubs close since 2000, according to data from the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) last March. Meanwhile, the thriving nightlife scene in Bexley has seen as many fourteen micropubs opening in the borough. Despite the popularity of these new boozers, none have opened in Erith.

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Running Horses is among the few pubs that remain in Erith, particularly along the waterfront. Ronnie Wilders took over the pub with her partner Sean two years ago, but the pub itself dates back to the 1830s. The building was bombed in 1940 during World War II, with those who died buried in the nearby Northumberland Heath cemetary. The pub moved from the pier in 1938, after the original building’s ceiling fell through.

Living in the nearby Slade Green, Ms Wilders has been going to Erith since she was a child to use the swimming pool next to Running Horses, before it was later turned into flats.

Running Horses has also seen TV stars celebrating the area in recent years, as shown in the ITV show DNA Journey. Ms Wilders said: “Alan Carr and Amanda Holden did a DNA story in this pub, and Alan Carr’s ancestors used to run it. They did their interviews here late at night during Covid, so no one knew they were here. You see them walking down the pier and Amanda saying that it’s like a seaside town.”

Ms Wilders said that Running Horses used to be part of a row of pubs in Erith including the Whitehart and the Crown, before the buildings were turned into restaurants and flats.

Speaking on the declining number of pubs in the town, Labour MP Abena Oppong-Asare said: “I share resident’s concerns about pub closures in Erith. I want all parts of our constituency to retain flourishing high streets, and pubs are a big part of this.”

The MP for Erith and Thamesmead said that she had contacted Bexley Council about the struggles local business were having, and said that pubs in the area had been affected by the government’s handling of the energy crisis as well as business rates.

Peter Nutley, who runs The Exchange in Erith, said: “We’re not blessed with pubs and cafes unfortunately. There’s a couple of cafes in the shopping centre, but not much.” Mr Nutley said that the classic Victorian high street of the area was knocked down for the Riverside shopping centre: “There’s been a small decline in the area since about the 60s. It’s probably not had the investment that it should have had, and it’s lost a lot of its industry.”

Mr Nutley moved to Erith with his partner, Sarah, and noticed the decline in pubs made it difficult for locals to get to know each other. He said: “We found the problem was there wasn’t really anywhere to meet people. So you had these new communities in a sense that were moving into the new flats and houses, and with the established communities that lived there a long time. But they weren’t really mixing because there was nowhere to meet.”

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The couple opened The Exchange, a community and arts centre, in the town’s old library in 2019, after the building closed for repairs in 2009. Through grants and community funding, the centre has now become a staple of the town for locals to collaborate on art and design projects. Mr Nutley said: “Our aim is to be a place where people can meet each other and hang out and also be a part of the changes that happen in Erith.”

The old library building was originally built in 1906 by Andrew Carnegie, with art classes, craft fairs, exhibitions and concerts now being hosted in the historic building. The basement of the library also hosts The Bookstore, a local deli and restaurant run by The Exchange.

On the edge of Erith is Northumberland Heath, where Chelsea Bella has hosted the Silvertops at the Royal Oak for over ten years, an event where elderly members of the community sing for punters. Ms Bella said: “It’s nice for them because they know that they can come and listen to some music. They feel safe, and they’re around people that they know.”

The Royal Oak dates back to the 1860s, and was rebuilt in the 1930s. Karen Smith, the owner of the pub, said: “I’ve had two ladies in the back that came and said to me they’ve recently lost their husbands and they quite like coming here on a Wednesday afternoon because the music finishes at six, they can be gone by seven. It just gets them out and gets them mingling with people.”

The Running Horses pub in Erith

Living in Sidcup, Ms Bella had been visiting North Heath for as long as she can remember, and used to run an estate agent down the road for 20 years. She said: “It’s got a good community when things happen, especially on the high street. There’s a lady who collects for her granddaughter who passed away from meningitis. She does that every year, so every year shops put purple balloons out.”

Speaking on the lack of pubs in Erith, a spokesperson for the Bexley branch of CAMRA said: “As a local branch of CAMRA, we have to fight hard to get existing pub venues retained via the ACV [assets of community value] system, particularly as this requires input from local residents, most of whom may not even be CAMRA members, but to fight against total urban redevelopment is too big a task.

“As has already been said, Bexley borough has an impressive collection of micropubs but these are all to the south and west of Erith. Hopefully as the retail area grows suitable candidate premises for micropubs will evolve, and Bexley branch will certainly encourage and support any upcoming applications.”

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