The Wishing Well, pool in Chingford Mount

Photo: CAMRA WhatPub

The Wishing Well: Pool & Snooker in Chingford Mount, London

FreeWalk-in2 tablesDartsGroups

11 Hall Lane, Chingford, London · E4 8HH · Mo-Sa 11:00-23:00; Su 11:00-22:00

The Wishing Well is a big, lively community pub on Hall Lane in Chingford Mount, and an easy bet if you want a game of pool without booking a thing. It started life as a 1990s shop conversion, runs as an Irish-leaning Craft Union local, and keeps a stretch of bare-boarded floor at the back for pool and darts. It is a member of the Enfield District Pool League, so the table sees proper play, not just casual potting.

This is a sport-and-social pub first. Expect big screens with Sky Sports and TNT Sports, a garden, live music, karaoke and DJ nights, plus Doom Bar on cask. Walk in, grab a drink, and head past the bar to the games area. Good for a relaxed evening with mates rather than a quiet one.

The pool setup

The games space sits beyond the bar counter in the rear of the pub, on bare boards alongside a couple of darts areas. Reviewers describe the back as spacious with pool, and the pub fields a side in the Enfield District Pool League, so the table is in regular competitive use. There is no booking system, you just turn up and play, though league or busy match nights can tie things up. It is a standard pub setup rather than a dedicated hall, so one table free at a time is the realistic expectation outside league fixtures.

Good to know

Open late every day, 11:00 to 23:00 Monday to Saturday and 11:00 to 22:00 on Sunday, so there is plenty of evening time for a few frames. It is a wet-led local with Doom Bar on cask, big-screen football and rugby, a garden and step-free access. Expect it to get loud on sport, karaoke and DJ nights. There is no online price list for the pool table, so ask at the bar whether it is coin-op or free, and bring change just in case.

Get directions

Common questions

What is The Wishing Well?
It is a large community pub on Hall Lane in Chingford Mount, run under Craft Union, with a bare-boarded rear room for pool and darts. It is a member of the Enfield District Pool League.
Is pool free at The Wishing Well?
There is no published price for the table. Pub pool is sometimes coin-op and sometimes free at quiet times, so check at the bar and bring some change.
Do I need to book a pool table?
No. There is no booking system. You walk in, get a drink and use the table in the back. League and busy match nights can tie it up though.
How many pool tables are there?
Sources describe the rear as housing a pool table, with some mentioning a couple of tables at the back, plus darts areas.
What are the opening hours?
It is open 11:00 to 23:00 Monday to Saturday and 11:00 to 22:00 on Sunday.
What is the nearest station?
The pub is in Chingford Mount, in the E4 8HH area of Waltham Forest. It is reachable by bus along Hall Lane and Chingford Mount Road.

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