RBL Hayes (Royal British Legion), darts in Hayes (Bromley)

Photo: CAMRA / WhatPub

RBL Hayes (Royal British Legion): Darts in London

FreeWalk-in2 boardsLeague pubCask ale

14 Station Hill, Hayes, Bromley · BR2 7DJ · Mo-Th 13:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-23:00; Su 12:00-22:30

RBL Hayes is the Royal British Legion social club on Station Hill, a short walk from Hayes station in Bromley. It is a members and guests club founded in 1933, with around 900 members and a properly run bar. The most useful thing to know: there are two dart boards and three darts teams playing league fixtures out of here, so the oche sees real, regular use. This is a free club board rather than a bookable venue, so you turn up and play. Access is members and guests, and CAMRA members can get in as guests on a card (up to four visits a year). Expect cask ale on the bar, a comfortable lounge, and a crowd that takes its darts seriously without any of the fuss of a city-centre bar darts chain.

The darts setup

Two dart boards sit inside the club, and they are the working kind, not decoration. Three darts teams play out of RBL Hayes, running league fixtures through the season, so the boards are in regular use for matches as well as casual throwing. This is a standard pub and club oche rather than a bank of automatic-scoring booths, so bring your own arrows if you have a set and expect to chalk by hand or keep score the old way. On league nights the boards will be busy with fixtures, so if you just want a casual go, an off-night earlier in the week is the safer bet.

Good to know

RBL Hayes is a members and guests club, not a public bar, so you come in as a member or as someone's guest rather than wandering off the street. CAMRA members can visit as guests on production of a card, up to four times a year. The bar pours cask ale, with regulars including Courage Best Bitter, Young's London Original and Sharp's Doom Bar plus a rotating guest beer. There is no charge to play the boards. Alongside the darts the club runs quizzes, shows live sport and hosts other social nights, and there is a garden and patio for warmer evenings.

Getting there

The club is at 14 Station Hill, on a residential street close to the centre of Hayes village in the London Borough of Bromley, postcode BR2 7DJ. Hayes railway station is the nearest stop and is right by the bottom of Station Hill, with direct trains from London Bridge and Charing Cross via Lewisham, so it is an easy reach even without a car. Once you are at the station it is a couple of minutes on foot up the hill to the door. Hours run Monday to Thursday 13:00 to 23:00, Friday and Saturday from noon to 23:00, and Sunday noon to 22:30.

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Common questions

What is RBL Hayes?
It is the Royal British Legion social club at 14 Station Hill in Hayes, Bromley, founded in 1933. It is a members and guests club with a bar, and it has two dart boards and three darts teams that play league fixtures.
Is it free to play darts at RBL Hayes?
Yes. The dart boards are free club boards, so there is no charge to play. You do, however, need to be a member or come in as a guest, as it is a members and guests club rather than a public pub.
Do you need to be a member to get into RBL Hayes?
It is a members and guests club, so you visit either as a member or as someone's guest. CAMRA members can also come in as guests on production of a membership card, up to four visits a year.
How many dart boards does RBL Hayes have?
There are two dart boards in the club, and three darts teams play out of the venue in league fixtures.
What are RBL Hayes opening hours?
Monday to Thursday 13:00 to 23:00, Friday and Saturday noon to 23:00, and Sunday noon to 22:30.
What is the nearest station to RBL Hayes?
Hayes railway station, at the bottom of Station Hill, is the closest stop and just a couple of minutes' walk from the club.

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