The Bankers Draft, darts in Eltham / Lewisham

Photo: CAMRA / WhatPub

The Bankers Draft: Darts in Eltham, London

FreeWalk-inLeague pubCask aleClosed

80 Eltham High Street, Eltham, London ยท SE9 1BW

The Bankers Draft was a small pub on the corner of Eltham High Street, a former JD Wetherspoon site that was reputed to be the chain's smallest outlet in the country. After Wetherspoon sold it in 2022, it reopened in August 2023 under a new operator selling cask ales, and it kept a dart board going as a fixture of the local scene, including a stint as a Hither Green Darts League venue. It suited locals after a no-fuss pint, a sports screen, and a free knockabout on the board.

Worth knowing before you make the trip: the pub closed in late summer 2025 and, as of early 2026, remains shut and listed as seeking new tenants. There is no confirmed reopening date, so treat the darts here as on hold rather than something you can rock up and play right now.

The darts setup

This was a free pub dart board, not a bookable or scored oche setup. You played for nothing as a local, the way it works in most London boozers: grab the flights, chalk up, and go. The pub fielded a team in the Hither Green Darts League, which links boards across Eltham, Catford, Lewisham, Forest Hill and the surrounding patch, so league nights brought competitive arrows alongside the casual games. No source lists a board count beyond the single house board you would expect in a pub this size, and there was no automatic scoring or paid session structure here.

Good to know

The big thing to know is that the Bankers Draft is shut. It closed in late summer 2025 (around 1 September) and is listed as closed long-term while the site seeks new tenants, with no confirmed reopening as of early 2026. When it last traded it was a small, no-frills pub run by an independent operator after Wetherspoon sold up in 2022. It poured cask ales (Ruddles Best Bitter and Greene King Abbot among them), served lunchtime and evening meals, showed sport on TV, and ran events like karaoke and Rock and Roll Bingo. It was dog friendly with level step-free access.

Getting there

You will find the pub on the corner of Eltham High Street, in the SE9 part of south east London on the Greenwich and Lewisham fringe. It sits close to local bus routes and is about a ten-minute walk (roughly 650 metres) from Eltham railway station, which runs Southeastern services down to the area from London Bridge, Cannon Street and Charing Cross. It is a straightforward town-centre spot rather than somewhere you need a plan to reach, surrounded by the High Street's shops and other pubs if you are making an evening of it once it reopens.

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Common questions

What is the Bankers Draft in Eltham?
It is a small pub on the corner of Eltham High Street (SE9 1BW), a former JD Wetherspoon site that reopened under an independent operator in August 2023. It served cask ale and food and kept a dart board, including as a Hither Green Darts League venue. Note that it closed in late summer 2025 and is currently shut.
Is the Bankers Draft open?
No. The pub closed around 1 September 2025 and is listed as closed long-term while the site seeks new tenants. As of early 2026 there is no confirmed reopening date, so check before travelling.
Is darts free at the Bankers Draft?
Yes, when the pub was trading the dart board was a free-to-play pub board with no booking or session fee, the standard setup in a local boozer. It is unavailable now because the pub is closed.
Do you need to book to play darts there?
No. It was a walk-in pub board, not a bookable or timed-session venue, so there was nothing to reserve. You would just turn up while the pub was open.
Does the Bankers Draft play in a darts league?
Yes, it has been a member venue of the Hither Green Darts League, which connects pub and club boards across Eltham, Catford, Lewisham, Forest Hill and nearby areas of south east London.
What is the nearest station to the Bankers Draft?
Eltham railway station, about a ten-minute walk (roughly 650 metres) away, with Southeastern services to the area. The pub also sits close to several local bus routes on Eltham High Street.

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