Brighton Pubs

A tour of some of Brighton's historic pubs, focusing mainly on those which are either on CAMRA's Pub Heritage list and/or listed by Historic England. As always a look at the interiors and exteriors, and some bits of history thrown in. Including a possibly ill advisedly long aside about Victorian balloonist and parachutist Neil Campbell.
Links etc used for research:
Quadrant
whatpub.com/pubs/BRI/102/quad...
pubheritage.camra.org.uk/pubs...
historicengland.org.uk/listin...
pubshistory.com/SussexPubs/Br...
the-quaffer.blogspot.com/2012...
Cricketers
whatpub.com/pubs/BRI/198/cric...
pubheritage.camra.org.uk/pubs...
historicengland.org.uk/listin...
pubshistory.com/SussexPubs/Br...
www.greatbritishlife.co.uk/pe...
Pump House
whatpub.com/pubs/BRI/12/pump-...
pubheritage.camra.org.uk/pubs...
historicengland.org.uk/listin...
pubshistory.com/SussexPubs/Br...
Druid's Head
whatpub.com/pubs/BRI/206/drui...
www.greeneking.co.uk/pubs/eas...
Victory
whatpub.com/pubs/BRI/3/victor...
pubheritage.camra.org.uk/pubs...
historicengland.org.uk/listin...
pubshistory.com/SussexPubs/Br...
Colonnade Bar
whatpub.com/pubs/BRI/192/colo...
pubheritage.camra.org.uk/pubs...
historicengland.org.uk/listin...
the-quaffer.blogspot.com/2011...
King and Queen
whatpub.com/pubs/BRI/237/king...
pubheritage.camra.org.uk/pubs...
historicengland.org.uk/listin...
pubshistory.com/SussexPubs/Br...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_an...
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:17 Quadrant
4:55 Cricketers
7:31 Pump House
9:31 Druid's Head
11:37 Victory
13:50 Colonnade Bar
15:55 King and Queen
19:41 Outro

[@travelandlaughs9281]

Hello! New subscriber here! I live in the USA, but England has my heart. I travel to England every couple years and try to explore as much of it as I can. I usually use London as my base (my favorite city in the world), and then take a few days to see somewhere else in England during my trip. I just wanted to say thank you for all you do in your videos. It brings me back to my London when I miss it terribly!!!!! Your videos are so informative and interesting as well. Your effort does not go unnoticed! Cheers!!!

[@TweedyPubs]

Thank you for the kind words! I guess that's one of the great things about pubs: their longevity, and (hopefully!) the way the stay more or less the same even if your visits are years apart! I hope these videos have given you some ideas for pubs to visit on your next trip to England.

[@ronniechambers2555]

Lived in Brighton between 1986 and 1988. I was introduced to Real Ale by a lad I worked with, I was a North Easterner brought up on Whitbreads Keg Best Scotch and Trophy BItter. I was amazed by how many pubs there were in Brighton, and nearly all of them were traditional no nonsense boozers, some like sitting in someones front room. I believe there were around 365 pubs in Brighton in 1986, I bet half of them have since closed, if not more. There must have been around ten pubs within 259 yards of the Railway Station. I used to reside in the Southover area, a hilly area of terraced streets, that seemed to have a pub on every corner. Its a shame that some of the breweries from that time no longer exist, such as Gales and King & Barnes, loved their Butser and Festive beers. Still the best brewery and beer survived, Harveys Sussex Best. Also sad to see that many of the pubs still in existence, have changed their names, from historical maritime names to poncy names, I guess that's what they call progress, my arse! shouldn't be allowed. Still lots of good pubs left in Brighton, but a lot do seem to have sold out to Gastro and Craft , nothing wrong with food or Craft beer, its just that gutting a pub interior and changing the name of the pub often seems to go part and parcel with any such venture. Other Brighton pubs worthy of a mention, are the Prince Albert, Lord Nelson, Sir Charles Napier, Battle of Trafalgar, Evening Star and Hand in Hand. Great video, as always.

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks Ronnie for that beautiful anecdote! I've only ever been a visitor to Brighton so it's great to have that inside knowledge from someone who actually lived there, and particularly in an era when pubs in general were in a healthier state than, alas, they are today.

[@57bananaman]

Those ten or so pubs around the railway station are probably still there. I spent a long weekend in Brighton a month back and stayed in The Ibis, which is about 100 yards from the station, there were three pubs between the station and the hotel, one just across the road from where I was staying, another one just down the road that goes underneath the front of the station, two a few yards up the road to the right of the station and another half dozen or so within a couple of hundred yards of where I was. I managed to "research" most of them in the four days I was there of course. 😄

[@apuldram]

Still a good number of good pubs near the station, at least ten. 😁

[@alanbercovitz3657]

How kind of you to to let the two old gents enjoy their pint in peace. I found Londoners to be so friendly and polite. Was truly a joy to visit your pubs.

[@TweedyPubs]

I always try to not be a nuisance to the other customers in any given pub when making these videos, which is part of the reason I normally do the talking bits outside. Unfortunately the Colonnade doesn't currently have any outside drinking space! Very glad to hear you had a good time in London, and even nicer to hear the locals were behaving!

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Brighton is an interesting place, isn't it? The obvious Brighton Rock thing, but also the location for the 4th series of the excellent Public Eye, starring Alfred Burke, in 1969. One for the archive British TV fans there - which is probably no one else following this channel other than me. Really encouraging to see so many fine surviving pub interiors and surprising too: maybe unfairly, I have a sense the city has been going down the redevelopment route in recent years. I know I went there in 1980 to see the beached Athina B, but I must have been there again since. Sorry you had such a limited selection of beers - even having to resort to lager - but as you say, probably a result of the time of year - although you'd think it would pay dividends to be well-stocked in such a key destination when a lot of people are off work. All the pubs had appeal here. I liked The Quadrant with its unusual name. The use of pebbles - off the beach presumably - in the stabling extension to The Cricketers was nice and those snugs looked fantastic. The Pump House looked appealing and the Druid's Head was a great one for mumbo jumbo fans! I wonder what happened to that stone circle and if any of it remains under the street, or surrounding buildings. A good result on my Tweedy Pubs Pub Bingo card there as well. Loved the tiling and striking gable end of The Victory Inn - I could imagine scurrying in their on a rainy day, in a puff of tobacco-flavoured vape. But they should have had the fires lit. In fact, that should be compulsory in British pubs. I do hope The Colonade Bar is going to be OK with the renovations - it looked like the external features were getting knocked around a bit. And than we had the Mock Tudor bonanza at the King and Queen! My goodness, weren't they into the Merry Olde England theme back then? Thanks for another great Tweedy Pubs - these videos really do provide some respite from the pretty much permanent gloom that shrouds me about the indifferent attitude towards built heritage in Britain these days.

[@TweedyPubs]

I think you may be the only person who gets the ongoing "Pub Bingo" theme! The Druid's Head was certainly a heavy scorer on that front. I wonder if the people who write that kind of blurb on pub websites (and often signs displayed on the walls) actually believe it? I think Brighton & Hove Council does have the right ideas when it comes to building preservation - I read that in addition to the national (i.e. Historic England) listing scheme they have their own local one. I'm not sure what the legal framework is for that but presumably that has some influence on planning permission. Brighton is probably fortunate that as far as I can tell it has never really gone entirely out of fashion, unlike some other seaside towns which have seen a lot more boom and bust. So I think they understand what draws the tourists, and broadly speaking (I hope) they're inclined to preserve it. It was also encouraging to see how many of these pubs were (as far as I can tell) locally owned, rather than being swallowed up by big national pub chains. I like to think there's a little bit of that independent Sussex "we wunt be druv" spirit in there. Although that said I suspect many people who live elsewhere in Sussex consider Brighton a different beast / law unto themselves. Lewes is of course the historic "capital". Anyway whatever it is I think that more local ownership has helped to preserve their local character.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

@@TweedyPubs when I was still in the corporate world, I had a work colleague from Brighton and I recall him being all excited about redevelopment plans. Not coming from Brighton, didn’t stop me giving him a piece of my mind on the subject! I’m really encouraged to see it retaining its character. You might be right about the authority understanding what brings the punters in. Long may that continue.

[@maxwellfan55]

Wonderful to see these old town pubs looking so well and thriving!

[@TweedyPubs]

I agree, it was good to see Brighton taking the preservation of its historical buildings seriously. All but one of the pubs featured here were listed buildings, and I believe in addition to that standard national listing scheme, Brighton & Hove Council has some kind of local listing scheme as well.

[@maxwellfan55]

@@TweedyPubs Good to know B&Hove council are serious about preservation. In historic naval cities like Portsmouth and Plymouth speciously, so many glorious pubs, rich in history have been converted to private accommodation, left to rot, or tragically disappeared altogether.

[@liamkatt6434]

Some homes near the seafront used to have three taps on the bath , hot, cold and sea water.

[@actnsaybel7418]

I was hoping to see you do a review of the Basketmakers Arms in Brighton. The pub I head to when I travel down to the coast. I would have liked to hear your take on this pub. Maybe next time you're in Brighton.

[@liberty_and_justice67]

Like the Victorian feel of Brighton and Eastbourne. Interesting hotels. Congrats on approaching 1.4K!

[@TweedyPubs]

I've only once very briefly been to Eastbourne, when I was starting my walk along the South Downs Way back in 2018. I wonder now if I should revisit?

[@liberty_and_justice67]

@@TweedyPubs Stayed at The Grand Hotel in Eastbourne a dozen years ago. Happy accident. An ignorant tourist choosing hotel for its name😂. But did enjoy the interior. Real Victorian feel, particularly the common areas.

[@martinkillick5437]

Good to see you back Tweedy and Happy New Year!

[@TweedyPubs]

Happy New Year yo you too Martin!

[@JonM-ts7os]

Love the Pumphouse and Druids head. UK has such a rich collection of lovely pubs.

[@dietrichess9997]

Very nice sketch of the flying machine! I love the bat wings, nice touch.

[@TweedyPubs]

Thank you - really very kind of you to say so! I have an extremely short list of talents, possibly none at all, and drawing is definitely not one of them! ...but I thought that segment would be a bit dull if it was just me talking, with the only thing on screen being newspaper articles. I'm sure somewhere in the world a proper drawing of Neil Campbell's flying machine exists, but I couldn't find it on the internet!

[@BIGNEWY]

Always enjoy your videos, as a lad who grew up in a 16th century pub in Herefordshire it is nice to see someone taking an interest in the history of public houses. All the best for 2024.

[@TweedyPubs]

Thank you! I also grew up in a pub, albeit perhaps not as old - I assume it was 19th century but thinking about it now I've never really dug into it, and that might be an interesting subject for a video one day! That pub was in the East Midlands, but as it happens I now have relatives living in Herefordshire, and from the glimpses I've seen that part of the country is an absolute goldmine of beautiful pubs. I would love to explore more of Herefordshire, it's just a bit of a difficult county to get around - I think there are only four train stations in the whole county aren't there? ...and obviously driving isn't very conducive to a pub crawl!

[@BIGNEWY]

@@TweedyPubs Herefordshire is a lovely county, but remote regarding travel for sure, the council here have not kept up with the pace of modern life, which is nice in a way, but not good for the younger generation. Hereford city has lost many great pubs over the years, and when the drink drive laws came into effect when I was younger it killed the country pub trade, many turned into the dreaded gastro pub :) I came across your channel after deciding to go to a devo concert in Hammersmith with my son, and wanted to check out some of the local pubs. We visited some of the older pubs there and had a great time looking out for the historic features you talk about in your videos. Thanks for shining a light on our history.

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

Brighton has always been dear to my heart throughout my life, so it was enjoyable to see what pubs bought your eye. Some real gems indeed, despite the dearth of real ale. The final pub, the King and Queen is quite extraordinary, almost Disney like in its take on Old Merry England. Here’s hoping you venture to mor3 towns and cities across the UK. 👏👏👍😀🍺

[@sb3110]

Love your video's, great to see those Brighton Pubs That I know well, as just along the coast from me. There are so many lovely pubs still in Brighton :-)

[@TweedyPubs]

Thank you! Yes I agree, Brighton still really holds its own when it comes to pubs.

[@garrymartin6474]

The Cricketers and the Victory are my two favourites from those you visited, the Druids to me looks like it has somehow been transplanted from North Norfolk. Brighton is a fabulous place to visit for the pub enthusiast !

[@TweedyPubs]

I agree Garry, I think those two were the best on today's outing, all things considered.

[@robcoles8493]

They looked great old style (mostly) boozers - thanks for the review and the very engaging history. Another destination for the retirement bucket list !!! Cheers Tweedy.

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks Rob! I do think Brighton makes for a good pub tour, and a nice day out generally. I'm sure the real ale selection is usually a bit better than it was on my visit! Although I for one am always happy if I can get a Harveys Sussex Best...

[@SlurpyDave254]

Couple of nice boozers but shame about ale selection John...was the Evening Star open..thats quite a famous Brighton boozer, all the best pal👏

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks Dave! You're the second person now to mention the Evening Star and I regret not swinging by there! Next time...

[@pauljones5066]

respect from the north! I really like your channel. Brighton looks a great spot for drinking tour.

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks Paul! I don't go to Brighton very often (perhaps once every few years?) but whenever I do it's usually a good day out. I don't think this video gave a very good impression of the beer selection at these pubs though! I think it was just bad timing, usually there's more variety than that.

[@pauljones5066]

looked fine to me!@@TweedyPubs

[@garrymartin6474]

Coming from the North myself I can confirm that its a great place for a weekend away.

[@chrish2461]

Thanks Tweedy -- we need to add Brighton to our next trip. I didn't realize it was a treasure trove of historic pub interiors. I think we are going to need a full month for our next UK pub trip!

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks Chris! I've always had a good time whenever I've been to Brighton. I think it does have a lot of well preserved pubs, and in this video I only visited about half of the ones listed on CAMRA's Pub Heritage site.

[@paulturner487]

Top work again old pal!!👍Happy new year to yo and yours 🎉🎉 Couple of questions for you if you don’t mind? Will be in Balham early in the new year, any recommendations? Second, if you had to pick one pub as your favourite, what would it be?🤔 Thanks mate, as always, keep up the good work 👍Paul

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks Paul! Happy New Year to you too. I have to admit Balham isn't a part of London I know very well! CAMRA's pub heritage site lists the Balham Bowls Club (?!) and the Devonshire as the two pubs of historic interest in the immediate vicinity but I haven't personally been to either. The King's Head in Tooting also seems to be well regarded but I haven't been there either. I should probably fix that! The closest pubs to there I can think of that I have actually been to are over in Wandsworth. The Spread Eagle has a magnificent late Victorian interior, and the Cat's Back was quirky and charming, albeit it was a loooong time since I was last there, and it may have since changed.

[@paulturner487]

Thanks 👍 And how about the second question, what’s your favourite pub of all time?? Cheers

[@TweedyPubs]

@@paulturner487 Oh, so hard to just pick one! In London, I think it probably has to be Ye Olde Mitre - there's just such a sense of magic about that place. Outside of London there was once a pub called the Cherry Tree in Tintern, South Wales, which had a similar sense of magic (but much quieter!). Alas it has long since closed. In terms of pubs which are still going, the Harrow Inn in Steep, just outside of Petersfield, has to be one of the most beautifully unspoilt pubs there is.

[@paulturner487]

@@TweedyPubs Thanks, very interesting. I’m a lover of country pubs as well. I do think London pubs are amazing! I’m still exploring the country, always a new gem waiting to be discovered! All the best 🍺🍺

[@mjc71]

It was a pleasure to meet you in The Cricketers, a shame we were rudely interrupted by the arrival lunch. Lookng forward for your Portsmouth visit. Martin and Jackie

[@TweedyPubs]

A pleasure to meet you too! I'm sure there are some gems to be found in Portsmouth, even if the list on CAMRA's Pub Heritage site is a bit short! Sometimes that just means their inspectors (or whatever you call them) haven't spent much time in the area. I know a lot sadly fell victim to bomb damage in WW2, as Portsmouth was heavily targeted.

[@elvis197797]

Also tweedy a Richmond pub crawl or perhaps Salisbury would be awesome! I used to live in London so watching ur videos are memory lane 😎🍺🍺

[@TweedyPubs]

I was in Salisbury very recently, just passing through at the end of a trip for my other channel (@TweedyOutdoors) I popped into the Haunch of Venison for a pint and thought that was spectacular. So I definitely think Salisbury deserves a return visit for the pubs. I will investigate Richmond too!

[@elvis197797]

@@TweedyPubs that’s awesome thanks for the reply yes I saw that one recently on tweedy outdoors. look forward to some new videos soon and a bit of pub history 👍🍺🍺

[@TheSeafordian]

Love the Victory. Great food.

[@Blackmamba12345]

Nice selection of pubs. The Kings and Queens I have been to as a student. Anyway great reference to the history.

[@suecondon1685]

Intriguing to me in a bit of a grim way, as, in 1898, my Great Grandfather, James McCarthy, died in St Mark's Street having fallen from the top deck of an omnibus being blind drunk 😏 Apparently he had already been refused on a previous bus, due to him being inebriated. I've always wondered where hed been drinking 😁

[@FrugalMrB]

Brighton - another town I’ve never visited! An interesting collection of pubs - I did like the exterior of The Victory. Do you have any plans for a pub tour visit further North anytime in 2024?

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks MrB! Yes the Victory looked great on this trip, I think I hit it at just the right time with the sun shining on one side of the pub, it looked magnificent - I hope that came through in the video. I have been considering a trip up to York for a while, and (although it's probably more North than you were thinking!) Edinburgh at some point. I'm partly dithering because of the lack of daylight hours this time of year, and obviously the travel time eats into that. I think the exterior shots would be a bit disappointing in the dark, especially with my basic filming setup.

[@FrugalMrB]

York would be a good choice, also Leeds - it’s only 2.5 hours from London by train - or even Skipton where I live! 😀 I agree, Edinburgh in a day at this time of year probably wouldn’t be good for filming.

[@jimdale6001]

Thanks Tweedy. Love to get down that way again.👍

[@elvis197797]

Hi tweedy I love your pub videos and am an avid follower. Can u consider a Wimbledon or Primrose Hill pub crawl? Cheers 👍

[@TweedyPubs]

Thank you, really glad to hear you are enjoying the videos! I have the sense Primrose Hill's pubs are all a bit gentrified / gastropubified but perhaps I haven't been looking carefully enough and might have missed some hidden gems...? Is there anywhere particular you'd recommend! Wimbledon I hardly know at all so that's definitely worth some further investigation.

[@elvis197797]

@@TweedyPubs yes your prob right about Primrose Hill as although nice pubs have become very gastro. Wimbledon however had some real old gems, especially Wimbledon village which has five or so lovely gems such as rose and crown, hand in hand, crooked billet and the dog and fox. The hand in hand is just off the village on the edge of the common. Please consider this as an area you might make one of your next videos please tweedy 🙏🏻👍😎

[@dietrichess9997]

Also, good catch regarding the Druid/stone circle anachronism.

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks Dietrich - I originally recorded a longer segment of me talking about that, but when I was editing I thought it was just a bit too off topic! I also felt it was a bit mean to criticise the Druid's Head too much - hundreds of pubs have websites / signs claiming fanciful legends about their history and I guess it's just sort of excepted that nobody takes it too seriously!

[@normanfairbrass7275]

Didn't the Cricketers appear in "Brighton Rock"?

[@TweedyPubs]

Yes a quick Google suggests you're right!

[@JohnAleman1]

Good to see there are pubs with atmosphere in Brighton and they have not all been turned into gastro pubs 🍻

[@TweedyPubs]

I agree John! Maybe it was biased by the list of pubs I chose to visit but surprisingly I had much less of a feel of gastropubification in Brighton than I've had in many other towns and cities in South East England. Surprising because I have the impression Brighton is a fashionable place for Londoners to move to or have a second home in. Perhaps for once it's Londoners actually trying to escape the gastropubs!

[@nickthebubble4060]

You missed….The Basketmakers, the Great eastern, The Nelson, The Waggon and Horses, The Dover Castle, the Heart and Hand I could go on and on. The South laine is far from the best place for pubs as come evenings it packed with lager louts and hen nights with blow up penises. So many good pubs in Brighton I don’t know where to begin and I’ve probably been in most as I’ve lived in many parts of Brighton and hove. If you go again maybe I could be you guide😂

[@TheSeafordian]

There is no South Laine.

[@MegaMurmer]

Get your freak on...

[@TweedyPubs]

Yes that was an odd aside wasn't it? I wonder if she has ever been to that pub...

[@theflourishing]

I’ve spent many a happy day in Brighton over many years either just hanging out or going to see bands at various venues. Thanks for this. Most of the pubs I was familiar with were mainly within staggering distance of The Level which is where I hung out when I went to the nearby technical college, for a couple of years, back in the early 1980s. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Level,_Brighton

[@leebishop418]

Please visit the Lion And Lobster?