Lord Palmerston, pool in Walthamstow

Photo: Craft Union / Lord Palmerston

Lord Palmerston: Pool & Snooker in Walthamstow, London

Free poolWalk-inPool & dartsSports pubGroups

252-254 Forest Road, Walthamstow, London · E17 5JN · Mo-We 12:00-23:00; Th 12:00-00:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-01:00; Su 12:00-00:00

The Lord Palmerston is a big, traditional community local on the corner of Forest Road in Walthamstow, run by Craft Union. It is the kind of unpretentious sports-and-games boozer where the pool table and dartboard are part of the furniture, and you come for cheap pints, live football on the HD screens, and a friendly crowd rather than anything fancy.

If you want a casual game of pool in E17 without a booking or a cover charge, this is an easy pick. It is open from noon every day, late at the weekend, and sits a short walk from Blackhorse Road and Walthamstow Central. Expect karaoke on Fridays, regular sports nights, and a games area that gets busy when there is a match on.

The pool setup

Pool sits inside a dedicated games area alongside the dartboard, so the playing comes wrapped up with the rest of the pub rather than tucked away in a side room. It is a traditional locals' setup, the sort you find a free table on midweek and queue for when a big match has the place packed. There is no booking system, so you put your name down or wait your turn the old-fashioned way. The pub leans hard into sport, with HD screens showing football and other live events, plus darts if the pool table is taken.

Good to know

This is a Craft Union pub, which means the focus is cheap, no-frills drinks rather than a gastro menu, and the pricing reflects that. The pool and games are part of the casual local feel, so there is no cover charge to get in and no dress code to worry about. Friday nights bring karaoke, and the pub runs regular sports nights, including poker through Red Tooth. It opens at noon every day and runs late on Friday and Saturday, so there is plenty of room to drop in for a game.

The building

The Lord Palmerston is a large corner-site Edwardian pub on two floors, built in red brick with some glazed tiling along the ground-floor wall. It carries a One Star listing on CAMRA's National Inventory for an interior of special national historic interest, which is rare for a working community boozer. So while you are here mainly for a cheap pint and a frame of pool, you are doing it in a genuinely characterful old room rather than a generic chain fit-out.

Get directions

Common questions

What is the Lord Palmerston?
It is a large traditional community pub on the corner of Forest Road in Walthamstow, run by Craft Union. It has a games area with a pool table and darts, HD screens for live sport, and cheap drinks.
Is the pool free at the Lord Palmerston?
Pool is part of the casual community-pub setup and there is no published charge to play, but we could not confirm a definitive free policy from an official source. Ask at the bar when you arrive.
Do you need to book a pool table?
No. This is a walk-in local with no booking system, so you put your name down or wait for the table to free up.
What are the opening hours?
It opens at noon every day. Monday to Wednesday until 23:00, Thursday and Sunday until midnight, and Friday and Saturday until 1:00am.
What is the nearest station?
It is on Forest Road in Walthamstow, E17 5JN, a short walk from Blackhorse Road and Walthamstow Central.
Is it good for groups?
Yes. It is a big two-floor pub with a games area, live sport on HD screens, Friday karaoke and regular sports nights, so it suits a casual group night out.

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