Fire-hit Tollington Arms gives away benches as engineers prepare to inspect building
The Tollington Arms, the 150-year-old Hornsey Road pub forced to close after a basement fire earlier this month, is giving away 13 of its recently refurbished benches to anyone willing to make a donation to Arsenal’s community charity.
The pub, a matchday favourite for Arsenal supporters on their way to the Emirates, posted photographs of the benches lined up outside the building on its Facebook page, urging people to come and claim them on a first-come, first-served basis.
“As we prepare for a structural engineer to carry out a full inspection of the building, we need to clear the space to allow full access,” the pub wrote. “13 benches available. Recently refurbished. First come, first served!”
Anyone taking a bench is asked to donate to Arsenal’s community charity in return.
A heartbreaking few weeks for the landlord
Fire crews were called to the pub in the early hours of Friday 9 October after part of the basement caught fire. Landlord Martin Whelan, his partner Louise and two others were in the building at the time, but managed to turn off the water and power and get themselves out before firefighters arrived.
A patch of flooring was damaged in the blaze, but investigators found something beneath the pub’s floorboards that they cut out and removed for examination — and the building was condemned while the cause of the fire is investigated.
Mr Whelan said it was “heartbreaking” that the pub had been condemned, and warned last week that the road back would be a long one: “First thing is a forensics investigation but it is all going to take time — it will be a miracle if this pub is open within four months.”
As reported when the closure was confirmed, the landlord feared the pub could stay shut for months. The basement fire on 9 October put the much-loved venue out of action almost overnight.
Why the pub has to empty the building
The benches giveaway is a practical necessity rather than a clearance sale. Before a structural engineer can carry out a full inspection of a fire-damaged historic building, the space around the affected areas has to be accessible — heavy furniture like pub benches gets in the way of that work.
Structural inspections after fires typically examine floor joists, support walls and the building’s overall integrity, and their findings determine what rebuilding work is needed and whether — and when — a venue can safely reopen to the public. For a 150-year-old building, that process can uncover problems well beyond the visible damage.
The pub has chosen to turn the disruption into something useful: rather than putting the benches into storage, it is offering them to locals in exchange for donations to Arsenal’s community charity — a fitting choice for a pub whose fortunes have always been tied to the fortunes of the football club a short walk up the road.
Fans rally round their matchday pub
Since news of the closure spread, there has been an outpouring of support from Arsenal fan sites. The Northbank Arsenal News page described the Tollington Arms as “one of Arsenal’s most iconic and beloved matchday pubs”, facing months of closure following “a devastating fire in its basement”.
Matchday pubs are woven into the fabric of football culture in north London, and the loss of a regular pre-match haunt — even temporarily — has clearly struck a nerve with supporters who have been raising a pint there for years.
The pub’s Facebook post makes clear the focus now is on getting the inspection done and the rebuilding underway. Until the structural engineer’s report lands, the landlord’s prediction stands: it would be a miracle if the Tollington Arms were pulling pints again within four months.
It is not the only London venue facing an enforced pause this month — the Ace Cafe in Stonebridge has also had to cut its hours — but the Tollington’s supporters will be hoping their pub’s closure is measured in months rather than anything longer.
This is a developing story. Updates will follow as the structural inspection takes place.
