Prince of Wales, ELMBRIDGE, Surrey

Built in 1892, the Prince of Wales has kept much of its original character, though a large leafy pub garden, modern décor and cosy furniture have brought it up to speed with modern times. A friendly and relaxed venue, the pub enjoys a lovely setting in West End, a hamlet with little more than a few residential streets and a local farm shop, Garson’s, where you can buy local produce and pick your own fruit and vegetables during the summer months, for company. A large green and duck pond are 30 metres away from the pub’s front doors and there are good woodland and waterside walks nearby for pre or post-lunch strolls. West End is part of Esher, a pretty London suburb around 15 miles southwest of Charring Cross. Esher is an ancient town and has been a magnet for royal, aristocratic and celebrity residents for centuries. As far back as the 16th century, wealthy courtesans of King Henry VIII were building homes here. Queen Victoria had a royal residence in the town in the 1860s and the 20th century saw it become the home of a number of lords, ladies, viscounts and duchesses. George Harrison lived here in the 1960s, during which time he regularly hosted the rest of the Beatles in his home recording studio. And Bee Gees frontman Maurice Gibb called the town home until his death in 2004. Today, a number of Chelsea Football Club players live locally to be close to the club’s training ground in the nearby village of Cobham. Esher also has a literary claim to fame, having provided the setting for one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes mysteries, ‘The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge’.