Great North Wood

🚇 West Norwood 🍺 £5.40 Pravha The Great North Wood is located next door to West Norwood railway station in West Norwood, South London. The pub was built in 1864 and was formerly known as The Norwood Hotel before being refurbished and rebranded as The Great North Wood around 10 years ago. The name ‘Great North Wood’ refers to the ancient woodland that once covered much of south London. This is a good-sized, one-bar pub with a contemporary feel and traditional touches. The horseshoe-shaped servery is centrally located, with the bar area wrapping around it. The left-hand side of the bar is bright and airy, with arched windows that fill the space with light, while the right-hand side has a more cosy feel. The decor consists of boarded floors, exposed brick and panelled walls, chunky planked tables, an eclectic mix of artwork, a solid-looking fireplace, and a few TVs. One of my favourite features is the train ticker above the back bar, showing arrival times for the station next door. Upstairs is a function room, and at the rear of the pub there is a partially covered beer garden. The beer selection offers a good mix of well-known brands, independent brews, and three cask ales. I decided on a Pravha; my pint was great, price point was below average. Food-wise, it’s British pub classics — baps, wraps, and burgers. Fish and chips costs £16, and roasts are available on Sundays. I arrived just before 2pm on a mid Saturday afternoon in November. The pub was fairly busy throughout with a broad mix of punters from all walks of life. The atmosphere was calm, relaxed, set to a decent soundtrack and easy to settle into. The service was on point, the chaps on duty were welcoming and friendly. Lots of positives to report from The Great North Wood. First of all, it’s a stunning building. The interior and atmosphere make for a comfortable and relaxed visit. The beer is sensibly priced, and the food is popular with the locals. I really enjoyed my time here—well worth a visit if you’re ever in the area. Follow @greatnorthwoodse27 for updates. 📅 15th November 2025 If you want to see all my pub reviews in one place, head to @londonpubmap on Instagram or Facebook. 🍻

8 months ago · via Google

I've spent one week near the pub. Visited the first evening, kept coming back every day...Proper cask ales, for more than fair price, changing frequently, always fresh. Smoke Burger is perfection, fries are crispy. The service is spotless, they know what they are doing. Atmosphere is as in a proper pub, sports broadcast, quiz night, comedy show, chess club, wargames, party night. What else do you need? If I'd live here, I'd be a regular, no question. All together a brilliant place. Thank you.

8 months ago · via Google

I booked the upstairs room for an event. Can’t fault the team they were all excellent, on the day and communication before to ensure the day went very smoothly. We were able to set up the evening before the event and bring our own DJ, the room also has its own projector if needed. Thank you very much, will defo be using the room again for any future events, highly recommend hiring the room upstairs for anyone considering!

5 months ago · via Google

Great quirky atmosphere with friendly and knowledgeable staff and a very good looking menu which we didn’t try because we only had drinks Very happy that there are plenty of vegan options, even dessert! Wood come back ;)

5 months ago · via Google