Pump House, Brighton

This pub in the heart of the Lanes now has four separate rooms, although one of the rear rooms was added only in the 1980s.  The counters serving the two front bars date from the 1950s, and these rooms contain floor to ceiling panelling of the same date.  A vestibule, fireplaces and fixed seating also survive.Late 18th century building in The Lanes with a Regency-style bow windowed frontage, possibly reglazed. The pub originally occupied 46 Market Street (first recorded as such in 1854) and in 1954 was combined with 45 Market Street to the left and a restoration by Kemp Town Brewery created a three small room layout with a central servery (with some modernisation). The restoration was confirmed in a December 1962 article “By their pubs you shall know them”, by Miriam Maisel who stated that the Pump House was “completely restored in 1954”. A 1960 book by Charrington's brewery (who took over the Kemp Town Brewery in 1954) states that the 1954 restoration was undertaken for Forfar's (Owners of 44 Market Street) and the KTB by Rings and Braybons. A refurbishment in the 1980s was mainly confined to creating more trading area at the rear left of the pub so it now has four rooms, and later refurbishments have taken place since, the latest being c2001.

The front left bar has old floor to ceiling fielded panelling in light wood with fluted pilasters and toothed and diamond lozenge decoration. The Charrington book says the wood was taken from the first floor of the building when the pub was refitted in 1954. There is a vestibule into this bar using more of the old panelling seen on the walls. There is a curved bar counter of a distinctive 1950s design and it and the panelling appear in a drawing by Alan Roulstone signed and dated 56 (1956). The bar back fitting appears more modern work and the gantry, with large supporting pillars, over the bar counter is modern. The stone fireplace has 'ME 1766' (Miss Elliiot who bought the building in 1766) inscribed in it but it could date from Edwardian times as it does resemble an Arts and Craft design. There is a fine fireback in the disused hearth. Modern wooden floor.

A doorway leads to the front right hand public bar which also has more old floor to ceiling fielded panelling in light wood with fluted pilasters and toothed and diamond lozenge decoration. There is another bar counter identical in design to that in the left hand bar so installed in 1954; the bar back fitting looks to be a mixture of 1950s and more modern work. There is another Tudor-style stone fireplace (also not in current use). Modern wooden floor.

An old door on the rear of the front right bar leads to a passage and the rear right small room which has a radiator grill of a distinct 1950s style. The small curved bar counter is a copy of the 1954 front ones and there is a modern screen on top including a set of three snob screens and a hatch.

From a doorway at the rear of the front left bar is a room created in the 1980s. It has some floor to ceiling panelling that is a copy of that seen in the two front bars but is less ornate. The curved bar counter closely matches those seen in the front bars but you will notice there are no leaf shaped brackets. It has a Victorian-style fireplace. Upstairs is what is called Miss Elliot’s Dining Room that has modern fittings.