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Grand Junction Arms, around 1910

This is the first postcard on the site with a good view of the Grand Junction Arms, 166 High Street, and we have Ken Lea, owner of the postcard, and Howard Webb to thank for sharing it.

Howard dates it to around 1910 and noted it is by Young and Co of Teddington and unposted.

The photographer had Brentford Bridge behind him and was looking eastwards along the High Street with Bridge Terrace to his left. I can make out fourteen men, one woman, three children, at least five horses and three carts. There is no motor traffic but the tram lines are visible.

Most of the men are workmen wearing caps, three nearer ones interested in seeing the photographer at work; a smart-looking business man with bowler and tie strides towards the photographer.

Advertisements for Batey's ginger beer and Star Brand are on the carts heading this way.

To the left, numbers 1 to 11 Bridge Terrace filled the High Street between the bridge and Durham Wharf and were later numbered 159 to 169 High Street.

The Grand Junction Arms is at the left of the photo at 166 High Street and was a Charrington & Co's pub, whose London Stout and Porter is advertised on the signage. This beerhouse had been operating for 60 years when the photo was taken but closed up for good in 1913: Vic Rosewarne has written a detailed account of its history.

Moving on, its neighbour at 167 was a bakery run by Mountford Archer at the time. It had three steps up to its entrance and this, together with the ornate windows of 166 and 167, help spot them in other photos.

Number 168, with small-paned windows, looks to be operating as a shop; it was a tailors in the late 1800s and a hairdressers from around 1911.

Number 170, on the corner of Durham Wharf, is covered in hoardings: the original building may have been demolished.

Moving to the south side of High Street on the right in the photo, the gap in the railings is a good match to an image from a film captured on the Reelstreets website, see link below. A little of 156 High Street is at the far right, then no. 155.

In the distance is the Workmen's Home at 141 High Street with a glimpse of St Lawrence's Church behind it.

Links

For more detail about the buildings and occupants see notes for properties on the left and for those nearer on the right and further away. These pages have links to other postcards and photos of this area.

ReelStreets - 'Documenting the ‘then’ and ‘now’ of movie locations worldwide' - includes shots of this area from The Marked One, 1963, scroll down to photos 12 and 13.

Published January 2026