Rescued from developers by its patrons, The Ivy House sits at the heart of a neighbourhood

Image by Helen Dixon

Tucked away on a residential street in Nunhead, The Ivy House probably shares some distinct similarities with the homes on either side: there’s a stack of umbrellas by the door, a cosy dishevelment to the furniture, and always someone to chat to when you pop in for a tea. 

There’s no artwork on the fridge, but the walls are adorned with promises of local goings-on. On a  Monday evening in December, the muffled sound of a gig in the main room melds with shrieks from a birthday party, brought to a crescendo by the concentrated chatter of the knitting club. 

Part-pub, part-community hub, part-venue, there’s always plenty going on. “We’re essentially three third spaces in one”, says Sam, the long-time events manager. “I’m exhausted!” he laughs. 

The Ivy House is run by a committee of local residents, with the input of its customers-slash shareholders. Given that there is no anonymous higher power to answer to, the space can adapt quickly to the changing needs of the community. According to Sam: “We have a really nice line of dialogue with a lot of our patrons. We can take on feedback from people on a day-to-day basis  and action that stuff immediately.”  

In the entrance, a pamphlet entitled “Saving The Ivy House” sits conspicuously atop a leaflet rack. In 2011, the building was rescued from developers by a group of Wednesday night regulars, who volunteered their time and expertise to the cause. With odds stacked against them, they eventually managed to buy the pub for just short of £1 million.

During this process, the building was granted a Grade II listing, preserving its remarkable history:  today, pub-goers prop up on an original saloon bar, complete with a checkered spittoon trough.  

Through heavy double doors lies an impressive wood-panelled ballroom, host to countless gigs over the years. A signed poster from punk pioneer Wilko Johnson sits above the fireplace; ask any regular, and they will tell you that Elvis Costello once graced the stage. But never mind the greats, for some of the bands that play here, it’s their first ever show. Anna Baily,  co-creator of bi-weekly new music night ‘Newlands’, notes the surprising demographic of newcomers. “Quite often, people who are doing their first shows are older than you would expect”. That anyone other than a brazen teenager is getting on stage for the first time is a testament to the easy, convivial atmosphere.  

Sam couldn’t imagine where he’d be without The Ivy House. “It’s kind of my entire life”, he says.  “It’s workplace, it’s living room, it’s home”. It’s more than that, even: he met his partner while hosting the pub quiz two years ago, and she now works here too. 

8 pm is cut off time for under-18s, and a throng of excitable families files out the door just as the well-dressed of Nunhead arrive for the pub quiz. As Anna says, “from the age of being born ‘till the age of 100, there’s something to do here”.  

Certainly, the neighbourhood would be poorer without it. In the words of local resident Tim  Barnes, The Ivy House is “turning a bunch of streets into a community”.