The Bell

The Bell in East Molesey is the kind of pub you'd make a trip for even without a dartboard. Built around 1460, it's one of the oldest pubs in Britain and locally known as "The Crooked House" — a name the brewery tried to make official in 1969 before a local campaign saved the original. The timber-frame facade tilts and warps visibly, the roofline ripples, and the patterned bargeboards look like they've been gently arguing with gravity for five centuries. It's Grade II listed, and the 19th-century coach house to the rear has its own separate listing. Inside, it's all nooks and crannies — stone and wood floors, period photographs on the walls, and the kind of low-ceilinged rooms where you have to duck through doorways. The dartboard area is tucked away in its own cute space, separate enough from the bar that you can throw without someone's elbow in your backswing. It's not a competition-grade setup, but the atmosphere more than makes up for it. The garden has a children's play area, so it works well as a family outing — throw some arrows, let the kids run around, and sit outside with a pint from the changing cask ale selection. Quiz night on Tuesdays, occasional live music. The highwayman Claude Duvalier allegedly hid here from the Bow Street Runners, and the building served as East Molesey's first post office around 1880. Greene King runs it now, food served noon to 9pm daily. **Local's Tip:** Go for the building as much as the board. The crooked facade is even more striking in person than in photos — and the nooks inside make every visit feel like discovering a new corner.