| The Ivy House | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The front of the pub in early 2008. | |
 Interactive map of the The Ivy House area | |
| General information | |
| Location | 40 Stuart Road, Nunhead, London, SE15 |
| Year built | 1938 |
| Opened | 1860s as Newlands Tavern, 1990s as The Ivy House |
| Designations | |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Designated | 20 Apr 2012 |
| Reference no. | 1408530 |
The Ivy House is aGrade II listedpublic house at 40 Stuart Road,Nunhead, London.[1] It is London's first co-operatively owned pub, and the first in the UK purchased on behalf of a community using the right to bid provisions in theLocalism Act 2011.
It was originally known as the Newlands Tavern, and was designed by the architectA. E. Sewell in the 1930s forTruman's Brewery.[1] Opening on 4 October 1938, the new building replaced an earlier pub which had existed since the 1860s.[2] It still contains many original features including a curved bar, timber panels, and a concert hall in the back that recalls early Victorian music halls. The hall was used for dances and parties, including onVE Day. The pub was narrowly missed by aV1 rocket in 1944 that destroyed much of the street around it.[2][3]
It was a venue for bands since at least the 1960s. Newlands Tavern was one of the major pub music venues in South London during the mid-1970spub rock boom, with acts and performers includingIan Dury (inKilburn and the High Roads),Elvis Costello (in Flip City),Joe Strummer (inThe 101ers),Eddie and The Hot Rods,Graham Parker,Jeff Beck, andDr. Feelgood.[4]
The pub was later renamed the Stuart Arms in the 1980s, before becoming The Ivy House upon purchase byEnterprise Inns in the 1990s.[4][2]
In April 2012 Enterprise Inns evicted the tenants with only a week's notice and announced their intention to sell it for redevelopment into flats. A group of locals, with the support ofCAMRA, campaigned to get the pub itsGrade II listing and also listed as anasset of community value (ACV) bySouthwark London Borough Council. It was the first in London to receive the latter designation under theLocalism Act 2011. Ivy House Community Pub Limited bought the freehold of the pub on 15 March 2013, upon which it became the first ACV to be purchased on behalf of a community using the right to bid provisions contained in the aforementioned act, and the city's firstco-operatively owned pub.[3][5] An arthouse documentary film Public House bySarah Turner follows the pub's development into a co-op.[6][7] The day-to-day of the pub is run by co-managers, above which are the management committee, consisting of eight shareholders who are residents of the local area that oversee operations.[8]
In 2018 bar staff at the pub wenton strike overzero hours contracts and working conditions, arguing that workers (separate from the board and shareholders) should "genuinely be included as equal beneficiaries of [the] community project". The staff are members of theBFAWU union.[9][10]
The Ivy House has been used as a set for films and television, includingLegend, the 2015 biopic of theKray twins, and the 2025Netflix series,Too Much.[11][12]
In recent years the Ivy House has once again emerged as a live music venue, with notable acts such asGoat Girl,caroline,Kiran Leonard,Darren Hayman andThe Monochrome Set taking to the stage.[13]
The Ivy House madeTime Out's list ofThe 50 Best Pubs in London, in both 2023 and 2025.[14][15]
51°27′30″N0°03′08″W / 51.45820°N 0.05214°W /51.45820; -0.05214
