General Information

Vinyl albums on the wall

We are dog friendly – but please keep on lead
We operate on challenge 25 ( https://rasg.org.uk/about/) – please bring ID for entry on events night
Our inclusivity / safer space policy:

• The Ivy House is an inclusive space and we are committed to ensuring our pub is safe and fun, where everyone should be able to have a good time free from harassment. We have a zero-tolerance policy regarding transphobia, homophobia, misogyny, racism, or any other form of abuse towards our customers, staff or acts.
• If you experience anything that makes you feel uncomfortable please tell our staff about it so we can intervene and support you.
• We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone found in breach of this policy.

And something about venue accessibility, as we are asked about this often:

Venue accessibility 

• Access – There is one step up to access the pub, however there is a ramp available there which staff can assist in putting in place when required.
• Toilet – We do not currently have an accessible toilet in our venue
• Parking – there is parking avaliable through out stuart road
• Seating – If you require a seat for one of our gigs please get in touch
• Stage – Our stage is 65cm high and only accessible via 3 steps.

History

The pub was built by Truman’s brewery in the 1930s. It is an example of the “Improved Public House“, designed to tempt drinkers in the face of falling pub attendance in the interwar years by offering more entertainment and a family-friendly environment. The pub is now Grade-II listed as having “an unusually high level of surviving original features and fittings [forming] a largely complete 1930s interior”.

During the 1970s the Ivy House was a key venue on the “Pub Rock” circuit, hosting gigs by many famous names including Joe Strummer, Ian Dury, Dr Feelgood, and Jeff Beck.

In April 2012 the pub was closed down and subsequently sold to a property developer who had drawn up plans to gut the interior and turn the entire building over to residential accommodation. You can read the full story of how a dedicated group of community volunteers prevented the destruction of the historic pub interior, raised a million pounds to buy the freehold, and re-opened the Ivy House below.

The Ivy House (in its current guise) was founded in 2013 after the building was saved by residents and locals from impending residential demolishment. We are London’s first co-operatively owned pub, the first pub in the UK to be listed as an Asset of Community Value, and the first building to be bought under the “community right to bid” provisions of the Localism Act. Now our home boasts a range of entertainment including a pub quiz on Wednesdays, comedy, and theatre on Thursdays and live music on Fridays.