The Bricklayer's Arms

Bar

32 Waterman Lane
London, England, SW15 1DD
United Kingdom

+44 (0)20 8780 1155 | map

Small backstreet local in Putney which, uniquely in London, offers all of the Timothy Taylor's range of cask ales. Opening hours: 1200-2300 Mon-Sat, 1200-2030 Sun; Special meal nights on Wed & Fri, roast on Sun, pub grub available other times.
Nearest Underground: Putney Bridge, then walk over bridge to south side.
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.11
Reviews:
6
Ratings:
7
pDev:
12.65%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews.
Photo of RedDieselBrewing
Rated by RedDieselBrewing from Ireland

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%
Great little pub near Putney Bridge, great relaxed atmosphere. definitely worth the journey. Good selection of cask ales.
Nov 29, 2014
Photo of Ruds
Reviewed by Ruds from England

3.33/5  rDev -19%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 2
I've been to the Bricklayers a few times over the years and always found it a great venue, however ...

My most recent visit was in July of 2011 and I'm not sure quite what was going on !!!

Ordinarily there would be 6 to 8 beers on cask, however only ONE was available on our Sunday afternoon visit (which was in good nick)

There were only 3 other people in the place (perhaps word had got out?)

One of them mentioned some form of dispute with the pub and (I don't want to guess and get facts wrong here - beer supplier/landlord !?! ), but either way a dissapointing visit bearing in mind I'd dragged a few mates down from out of town who hadn't been before, extolling the virtues of the Bricklayers range!

I hope service has returned to normal !?!
Oct 28, 2011
Photo of alfrantzell
Reviewed by alfrantzell from California

4.43/5  rDev +7.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
The Bricklayer's Arms is the place to unwind after a long day of drinking. I stopped by on a Friday night when the wait at the bar of the White Horse was three persons deep and growing. The BA, on the other hand, was quiet.

That's not to say it wasn't populated; there were plenty enjoying the four or five Timothy Taylor beers on cask, me included. I had the Ram Tam and the Landlord, which were both decent -- better, even, when enjoyed in their serene, kidney-shaped beer garden.

They also had a few Bricklayer's Arms beers on cask, which I didn't get to. But they must be good if they named the pub after them.
Apr 11, 2010
Photo of surfadelic23
Reviewed by surfadelic23 from Florida

3.73/5  rDev -9.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3
We hit this pub for a bit of a pre game session before heading across the thames to Craven Cottage to catch FFC v. Derby Cty.
When we walked in, we were greeted by a very dire sight. EVERY single Timothy Taylor product was off! This was due to the brewery not making their delivery the day before we were told. Somewhat of a bummer as I've never had anything other than landlord! So, when life gives you lemons, you drink back pints of Hogsback TEA and Autumn brown! Both beers were on good condition and went down wonderfully! The pub itself is quite pretty and there is a nice outside section as well. Did not try the food but the lads eating the bacon and sausage sandwiches looked happy! Will stop by again with the hope of trying the rest of the elusive Timothy Taylor beers!
***Second trip 2008 October***
They had almost the full line of Timothy Taylor on this visit. I tried the Landlord, golden best, mild, and the best fucking beer they brew... ram-tam... All were wonderful and in good condition. They also had a cider and perry on which were both tasty as well...
Oct 30, 2007
Photo of BlackHaddock
Reviewed by BlackHaddock from England

3.8/5  rDev -7.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5
A village pub in Putney, hard to believe but true. We sat to the left as you walk in, past the bar and into what reminded me of a boatshed, wooden ceiling and painted panels on the walls. The floor is wooden too, so plenty of wood then! An orange glow comes from the wall mounted lights to add an olde worlde type feel, guess what the furniture is made of? You are correct, mostly wood.

The place was fairly busy (May Saturday at 17.00), sadly a loud, smoking, know it all American was sat across from us and he kind of ruined the atmosphere for my party of three.

The beers were all fine, the full range of TT, plus two from Saltaire (a small new brewery from Yorkshire).

Old bald bloke behind the bar was a bit rude and 'offish', the young chap was fine, hence the low score for service, plus the toilets are very poor.

Nowhere except Sam Smiths and Weatherspoons are cheap in London, but this place is above average in price, even for London.
May 13, 2007
Photo of davymac
Reviewed by davymac from Connecticut

5/5  rDev +21.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
I've been living in nearby Parsons Green for the past several months, and the Bricklayer's Arms is far and away the nicest pub I've found in the area (I've been working at the White Horse, so I can't include that...and it's too different to compare anyway). From the moment you walk in it's clear that this isn't your regular London pub. A very inviting, peaceful coziness permeates the place. You're guaranteed to be greeted with a warm welcome from the staff, all of whom are very kind, pour a fantastic pint and have a casual air about them that makes you feel like you're hanging out in their home. The atmosphere only reinforces this feeling, with warm lighting, comfortable seats, the exposed beam ceiling, and genial and talktative regulars. There's a really nice, almost contemplative quietness to the atmosphere at the Bricklayer's Arms that doesn't by any means keep it from being a good place to go for a night out with friends, but does make it even more perfect for appreciating the stellar quality of their beers. I was here to watch the Liverpool-Chelsea Champions Leage semi-final, and even then, this sort of atmosphere prevailed.

And of course, as mentioned in other reviews, the range of Timothy Taylor's beers is impressively kept and really something to behold. The popularity of Landlord has meant that it hasn't been offered a couple times I've gone, but when you can have the Best Bitter, Dark Mild or Ram Tam instead, it doesn't really matter. In addition they have two other handpumps, which have always had interesting choices from breweries for the most part I've never heard of. The usual Staropramen/Guinness/Strongbow is there too, though I suspect they see most of their action during Fulham home games. This is an ale drinker's pub, first and foremost.

Enjoy it! I will certainly miss the Bricklayer's Arms when I leave London next month.
May 02, 2007
Photo of TheLongBeachBum
Reviewed by TheLongBeachBum from California

4/5  rDev -2.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
The Bricklayer’s Arms, or rather just the “Brickies” as it is affectionately referred to by the locals, was the perfect way for a Northern Lad to start a Saturday London BA Pub Crawl.

From the Putney Bridge Tube a brisk walk over the Bridge soon has you on the Southside. Take an immediate right at the end of the Bridge onto Lower Richmond Road, turn left opposite the Thai Square Restaurant on your right. A short walk up the gently inclined Waterman Street & in the far left hand corner is the Brickies.

Classic small Pub exterior has a low sloping tiled roof which is bedecked with a myriad of at least four separate chimney stacks & numerous fancy Terracotta smoke pots. The outside brickwork is washed with cream colored paint. Two old style sash windows on the 2nd floor are complemented by a proudly situated dark green “Timothy Taylor’s Championship Beers” sign which matches the windows in size & outshines them. The ground floor is topped with a sign that runs the width of the Pub with the words “The Bricklayer’s Arms” set in a tall TimesNewRoman font & in the Taylor’s cream color set against a dark red background. At either end of this sign the words “Free House” appear below the Taylor’s Sheaf, this seems Oxy-Moronic; I am sure it will have many wondering if this is indeed a real Free House or a much needed but guised Taylor’s outpost, it did for me. An old style Street Lamp to the right complements the overall looks.

The entrance sits amidst large windows either side, this allows the dust laden air inside to light up like golden wonder dust. The deep blue cigarette smoke to impart a cleanly defined yet evaporating trail of Carcinogenic poison that clings to the low ceilings. Has an immediate feeling of undisturbed tranquility, the creaky uneven wooden floors ‘tap&click’ to the sound of hard soled shoes. The gentle murmur of merrie banter & clinking glasses punctuated by laughter & the sound of working cash tills invoked a warm welcome, whilst the well worn wooden fittings, aged open fire place, mismatched wobbly wooden tables & aged stools with their thinning dark crushed velvet coverings all contributed to a period Victorian boozer with Georgian tones. If you’re lucky, you may be able to bag the pair of armchairs by the Fireplace, their dark green stretched threadbare pattern punctuated by the peeping lining & stuffed insides. The bare brick walls are partially lined with wooden plank paneling in places with hanging pictures & framed articles about the Brickies all around.

The bar is a wooden clad affair that sits in the middle of the floor very close to the entrance, making it hard to get in at times as it is surrounded on three sides by punters & furniture which is wedged into the cramped frontage. A room at the back offers a little more space & some refined comfort but you may have to fight for space in here, or as the masses of assembling Fulham FC fans did, just take your Pint out onto the street & drink there, how civilized. It seems like the Brickies is a local stop off for the Fulham Fans before home games.

The beer range alone will make Northerners weak at the knees; this is the only place in London to experience the “full” range of Timothy Taylor’s beers. I must qualify “full” – TT aficionados will ask where the Porter is; well it seems that the overtly sweet Porter is now a rare seasonal or even infrequent offering from Taylor’s, as such, the “full” range refers to the current year round line-up of: Golden Best, Dark Mild, Best Bitter, Landlord & Ram Tam. They are all proudly served from a line of five Angram Beer Engines which look resplendent with their official TT dark green & gold logo handles set in & amongst two (seemingly original) black cast iron columns on the bar which appear to support the ceiling. It should be noted to “Men of the North” that all the Cask Taylor’s is served “sans sparkler”….oh well, you can’t have everything, even in London it seems. The quality of the Taylor’s was excellent, thankfully a Diacetyl free zone & so refreshing to sample some well kept Northern beers.

In addition to the 5 Taylor’s beers, a Beer Engine sits just around the corner to the left of the primary Handpumps. On my visit it was serving a Guest Beer called Quad Hop from the Dowton Brewery. Bottled beer selection is limited, but they had the once-a-year Timothy Taylor Havercake Ale & Landlord also. All up, quite the impressive range from the North’s finest brewer of Pale Ales & arguably one of England’s Premier Quality Independent Brewers.

Just (sic) the “full” range of Timothy Taylor’s alone makes this a “must do” stop, but this is accentuated by the warm down to Earth feel, well worn, backstreet local atmosphere & some excellent, very attentive & genuinely warm Service. I will be back in London for a week in Sept. 2007, thanks to the smoking ban which will be in full affect at that time; I’ll wager that I will be having a full Session in here.

Highly Recommended!

Last Visit: Saturday 28th October, 2006.
Nov 01, 2006
The Bricklayer's Arms in London, GB2, United Kingdom
Place rating: 4.11 out of 5 with 7 ratings