Hole in the Wall Pub Suddenly Shut and Boarded Up
Future of pub is unclear with tenants reportedly evicted
The Hole and the Wall pub this Friday
June 13, 2026
The Hole in the Wall pub on Sutton Lane North in Chiswick has been abruptly closed and boarded up, with workers at the site telling us the tenant has been evicted. The closure was first reported on Thursday 11 June.
The pub had been operated by Seda and Paul Durham, who took over the venue in August 2024 and ran it as a family-friendly gastro pub. Seda says that they have now left the pub and that she believes the intention is that it will be closed permanently.
The Durhams had revived the Hole in the Wall name after its previous incarnation as The Queen's Head closed in May 2024 following the departure of Aneta Barratt and her team who were told by pub chain Stonegate that it wanted to take it over as a managed site. The changes drew an angry response from many regulars unhappy that the previous management had been removed.
According to some reports the freehold of the pub is owned by Lockhart Global Ltd, a British Virgin Islands registered company of which the ultimate ownership is unknown. The licence for the premises is held by EI Group Ltd, a subsidiary of the Stonegate Group, one of the UK's largest pub companies. We have contacted the Stonegate Group for comment.
Companies House records show that The Hole in the Wall (Chiswick) Ltd — the company incorporated by the Durhams in October 2024 to operate the pub — was dissolved on 6 May 2025 although the company was only in existence for a few months so the liquidation might not be related to the current closure.
The pub at 12 Sutton Lane North has a long history on the site. Records suggest there has been a pub here since 1722, when it was first known as The Queen's Head. The current building dates from 1925, when it was rebuilt in the distinctive "Brewers Tudor" style by Nowell Parr, the celebrated pub architect who worked extensively across west London in the early twentieth century. His other Chiswick designs include the Old Pack Horse on Chiswick High Road, which is Grade II listed. The Hole in the Wall building does not itself appear on the Historic England National Heritage List — though CAMRA recognises it as a pub of historic interest by virtue of its Nowell Parr pedigree.
The venue has traded under several names over the decades, including The Smokehouse, before reverting to The Queen's Head in 2018 under new independent management. That team, led by Aneta Barratt, built up a loyal local following over six years with a focus on grilled food and Sunday roasts.
Paul and Seda Durham took over in August 2024, reopening under the Hole in the Wall name and positioning the pub as a community venue welcoming to families, older residents, and local groups. They offered quiz nights, jazz evenings, and a seasonal food menu with locally sourced ingredients.
The closure will be felt acutely in the immediate neighbourhood, where several other pubs have shut in recent years, leaving the Hole in the Wall as one of the few remaining local options within easy walking distance.
It remains unclear whether the Stonegate Group intends to find a new tenant, manage the premises directly or permanently close the pub.
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