The Castle Finchley


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Date of visit- 20th May 2010
Band seen- Led Zep Too
Admission cost- £10
Number in (Thursday Evening) around 50

Dennis, the Landlord of this pub, used to run The Horns in Watford but now he may be found at The Castle in Finchley Road. By all accounts this pub was a bit of a "dive" before he got his hands on it - it certainly is not a dive now, it is a cracking place that has had money spent on it like it was going out of fashion. He should be very proud of the place and what he is trying to do.

The Castle is located at the cross roads where Finchley Road meets Cricklewood Lane and Hermitage Lane, an area known as Childs Hill. Getting there by public transport is fairly straightforward although it is a fair hike from the nearest tube station, Golders Green. However buses 13, 82, 245, 260, 328 and N13 all stop close by. Personally I took the tube to Finchley Road and then there are two buses to choose from to get you there, where the stop is (going home) right outside the pub.

I did not see a car park nearby and being in a very built up area and at the junction of some very busy roads I cannot imagine parking will be that easy. There is a tiny area out the front where you might get in, but don't count on it!

You enter via a small flight of stairs into the main bar area where the music "room" is to your left. Entry is thus NOT level so the venue is NOT really OK for disabled.

The bar itself occupies a central position in the pub and access all around it is possible. The loos are towards the rear of the pub. Seating is fine and generally available and is mainly free standing so you might well be able to move it to the location you want within the bar. There were real ale pumps in evidence on the bar, but no real ale on the night I attended.

Smokers are catered for with a massive outside area to the front of the venue which is both covered and heated in part. Although fronting the main road this area has gates and can be locked off to prevent "interlopers" just coming in.

The pub offers a range of foods which all look (and sound) very appetising and offers entertainment just about every night. So on the face of it this is the perfect music venue.....The only thing I was not too sure about was the height of the stage, which looked a bit low (rather like ours at The Tropic' it has to be said) and can restrict ones view on busy nights.

To sum up this is a great venue for music..... on nights when the attendance is "perfect" but on busy nights it could well be very difficult to see very well.


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Tropic at Ruislip was co-founded by George McFall, who sadly died on 7th October 2010. Read the history of Tropic At Ruislip here
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