The Wimbledon pub has long been a haven for ale enthusiasts, but its future has been shrouded in uncertainty for much of this year
After months of uncertainty, a historic real ale pub in South Wimbledon has been given the chance to secure its future. The lifeline follows fears that a developer might win an appeal to replace The Trafalgar with six flats and a café, a move that would erase a place where some locals have been drinking for half a century.
The Trafalgar is more than just a pub; it is an enduring hub of local life and a must-visit destination for real ale enthusiasts, having won CAMRA’s South West London Pub of the Year in 2024. “There is nowhere, apart from The Hope in Carshalton, that does anything like this within six miles,” said landlord Oli Carter-Esdale as they tended to the bar’s selection of seasonal ales and ciders.
For much of the past year, however, the pub’s future has hung in the balance, with developer Linea Homes eyeing the site for new housing. Now, The Trafalgar has been offered the opportunity to buy the freehold of the building for £600,000, raising hopes that the historic venue could remain in local hands.
While the offer provides a potential lifeline, Oli warned that the pub faces an uphill battle to make it a reality. They emphasised the need for a fair valuation and a collective effort to raise the necessary funds, but said they intend to accept the offer.
“We are never going to raise £600k. You would need six hundred local people spending £1,000 each. We are not in the wealthiest area, but I think you could get 300 people putting in £500,” they said.
Oli praised the local response to the campaign and highlighted the unique role The Trafalgar plays in the community. Gesturing to the dozen or so locals enjoying a pint and conversation on a Friday lunchtime, they said: “I do not think anywhere I know of has a similar contingent of locals who, when up against the wall, decide to fight for a space that means so much to them. Some people have been drinking here for over 50 years; it is part of the social fabric.”
“The problem is, once these places go, they go,” said Alan Millington, who often visits The Trafalgar with his wife Denise for its unrivalled beer selection and “proper pub” feel. “For me, it is a crime to get rid of these kinds of places,” they added.
The Millingtons, who come from nearby Tooting, are just some of the pub’s devoted regulars who come for the beer and stay for the inviting atmosphere and to engage in the “lost art of conversation”, as one put it. Directing our attention to the colourful beer mats adorning the ceiling, Oli noted: “They are like a timeline of joy, you can point to them and remember when you drank it and who you were with at the time.
The Planning Inspectorate recently conducted a site visit to assess whether the owner’s appeal to the Secretary of State for permission to build had merit. “They came to look at the pub as a physical space and its use,” Oli said, noting that inspectors visited during busy hours to see “the pub in full swing”.
Locals turned up to the visit, demonstrating the value of The Trafalgar to both the community and Oli. “People came who understand what this place means to them as well as to me,” they said.
“I dread to think of how many letters they would have had to have read about it. I would have thought everyone in this room would have written something, online or to the council or inspectorate.”
When asked for their views on how the situation has developed since the Local Democracy Reporting Service last spoke to them in August, Oli said: “At the end of the day, Linea Homes are a property development company. That is what they do.
“They build nice apartments and houses; it is their raison d’être. In my eyes, their work often comes at the price of disrupting social assets. That is just my opinion, but a lot of people here share it.”
The Trafalgar has a long history, with a pub on the site dating back to at least 1868. Its distinctive red brickwork and stained-glass features are deliberate design choices that honour local conservation and pay tribute to its association with Horatio Nelson, whose home, Merton Place, once stood on the same land.
“The value of this place is not in the bricks and mortar; it is in what is contained within,” Oli told the LDRS. “Once you take that away, you take away the magic.”
He remains committed to maintaining The Trafalgar as a community pub offering independent beers at reasonable prices.
Oli also highlighted the importance of the pub to his four local staff members, noting that bartender Jola Rozylo has been part of the team for over two years, which he says is uncommon in London’s hospitality industry.
Looking ahead, the landlord hopes to secure the pub’s future while keeping it affordable and community-focused. “If you take rent out of the equation, you can keep prices down and make people feel they have a stake in it. What we need is a sensible agreement on the property’s value, and then those of us here can try to raise enough to make it viable.”
While the specifics of the fundraising plan are yet to be outlined, Oli remains resolute, stating online: “I know together we can raise enough money to bring the pub and its destiny into our own hands.”
Linea Homes was approached for comment, but failed to respond in time for publication.
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