Prince of Wales (Brixton): Darts in Brixton Hill, London
The Prince of Wales is a proper backstreet local on Lyham Road, up on Brixton Hill away from the centre. It is the kind of pub where the darts actually matter: there is a wall board, a darts team, and league nights, so you can play a casual leg or watch the regulars take it seriously. The board is free to use and you just walk in, no booking. It suits anyone after an unfussy game and a pint rather than a slick darts bar with automatic scoring.
There is more here than darts. You get a pool table, sport on the TV, and a small garden out back, plus a genuinely old interior: this is a CAMRA-listed heritage pub with two bars, timber panelling and 1930s fittings. Dogs are welcome.
The darts setup
This is classic pub darts, not a bookable booth bar. There is a traditional wall-mounted board, chalk-and-talk scoring rather than electronic, and you play in whatever space the bar allows when it is quiet. It is free and first come, first served, so grab the oche when it is clear and have a few legs. Because the pub runs a darts team that plays in the local pub leagues, the board sees regular competitive use, which means league nights when the regulars are throwing for points. If you want a serious game against locals rather than a casual flick, this is a good board to find.
Good to know
The Prince of Wales opens Monday to Saturday 11:00 to 23:00 and Sunday 12:00 to 23:00, and you can simply walk in to play. Alongside darts there is a pool table and TV sport, so you can make a proper evening of it. It is a Brakspear pub, with Brakspear Oxford Gold on cask, and there is a small garden or patio for warmer days. Dogs are welcome. This is a traditional drinkers' local rather than a food-led gastropub, and it carries a CAMRA heritage listing for its preserved two-bar 1930s interior, so expect timber panelling and old fittings.
Getting there
The pub sits on Lyham Road off Brixton Hill, in the residential streets above central Brixton, so it has a quiet local feel rather than a high-street buzz. The nearest tube and rail hub is Brixton (Victoria line and National Rail), from where it is a walk or a short bus ride up Brixton Hill toward Streatham. Plenty of buses run along Brixton Hill close to the pub. Being tucked off the main road, it is the sort of place you go to on purpose rather than stumble into, which is part of why it stays a proper local.
Common questions
- What is the Prince of Wales in Brixton?
- It is a traditional backstreet local on Lyham Road, up on Brixton Hill. It has a darts board and a darts team that plays in the local pub leagues, plus a pool table, sport on TV and a small garden. The interior is CAMRA-listed for its preserved 1930s two-bar layout.
- Is it free to play darts at the Prince of Wales?
- Yes. It is a standard free pub dartboard. There is no charge to play and nothing to book; you just use the board when it is free.
- Do you need to book to play darts here?
- No. This is a walk-in pub board, not a bookable session. Turn up, and if the board is clear you can play.
- Does the Prince of Wales have a darts team?
- Yes. The pub runs a darts team that competes in the local pub leagues, so the board gets regular competitive use on league nights as well as casual play.
- What are the opening hours of the Prince of Wales, Brixton?
- It opens Monday to Saturday from 11:00 to 23:00, and Sunday from 12:00 to 23:00.
- What is the nearest station to the Prince of Wales on Lyham Road?
- Brixton (Victoria line and National Rail) is the nearest hub, then a walk or short bus ride up Brixton Hill. Buses along Brixton Hill stop close to the pub.
Other darts bars nearby
- The Sultan (Brixton) Brixton Hill (Lambeth), SW2
- Effra Social Brixton (Lambeth), SW2
- The Alexandra Clapham
- The Duke of Edinburgh Lewisham / Catford
- Duke of Edinburgh (Brixton) Brixton (Lambeth), SW9
- The Clapham Tap Clapham