Celebrations as 150-year-old Maida Vale pub stays open

Regulars at one of Maida Vale’s oldest pubs are celebrating after a planning application to turn it into a Korean restaurant was withdrawn.

The 150-year-old Windsor Castle in Lanark Place was facing last orders earlier this year when it was announced the pub could become a restaurant.

But following an outcry from the Maida Vale community the restaurant application has been officially withdrawn and the Windsor Castle’s owner has decided it will only be sold to someone willing to keep it open as a pub.

Owner Robert Jones said: “People want to keep it as a pub so we are trying to keep everyone happy.

I would like to see it stay as a pub.”

Pub regulars are now celebrating what they hope will be a long future for the “quintessential English pub”.

Dale Headley, 40, of Lanark Road, who has been a pub regular for six years since he moved to the area, said: “The situation has worked out for the best given the options.

“We are all incredibly happy that the pub is staying open and we hope that people continue to patronise it and they find the right owner who keeps the community spirit that has developed over the years.

“It’s a victory for all the community and it shows that action can sometimes provide the outcome that you want.”

Richard Hester, 67, also of Lanark Road, has been drinking at the pub since 1969 and said he was pleased it has bucked the trend of national pub closures.

“It’s terrible that so many community pubs are shutting at the moment,” he said.

“The Windsor Castle really is part of the community. It has always been a very happy place.

“It’s almost like a communal drawing room where you walk in and always know someone who you can have a chat with.”