About The Lamb

There aren’t many folks in Eastbourne who haven’t heard of The Lamb. Most people know two things about it: it serves beer and it’s very old. Now the beer bit of it is pretty straightforward and I know I can rely on you, dear reader, to do your own research into this part of the story.

As regards the history of the place, however, there is something of a mystery. While you are reading this, crack teams of highly trained historians and archaeologists are racking their combined brains and scouring the debris clinging to the teeth

of their fine tooth combs in the hope of shedding more light on this most august of hostelries. In the meantime, you will have to make do with some typical bournefree bosh style.  
The Lamb has managed to keep pretty quiet about itself over the years. It appears to have been built after the compilation of the Doomsday Book, the first decent record of the buildings of Britain. Not being on the road to Canterbury, Chaucer’s merry band of pilgrims never got pissed here. Even the venerable Pevsner, that great authority on British architecture, makes only a passing reference to it in The Buildings of Sussex (he didn’t seem very impressed with Eastbourne). All we have left is a little hearsay and anything that can be gleaned from the building as it stands today. What is known is that the place has been doing business for some time - over eight hundred years in fact. A lot of beer has been drunk there since it first opened its doors.

Of course the place has changed a bit since those early days. The original structure has been added to and modified several times since its original construction. It is believed that the earliest part of the building, a vaulted cellar known as the crypt, was constructed to provide accommodation for the masons and other artisans who built the adjacent St Mary’s Church.

The original front door, once flanked by stone windows of a similar design to those of the church, faces directly towards it. The crypt lies directly beneath the oldest part of the pub, which was originally a low, square two storey building incorporating the current bar area and running forward to the main road. By 1180, this was operating as a ‘house of entertainment’— to use a contemporary euphemism, Situated on the main road along the South Coast, it must have done a roaring trade.
The cellar also contains what appears to be the start of a tunnel leading to the church. It is unknown to what use this tunnel was put — or even if it was ever finished. When excavations were carried out in preparation for the laying of a road over part of its supposed course, no sign was found to indicate that it had ever existed. The opening visible under the Lamb, however, is a pretty impressive feat of engineering — and doesn’t look in the least half-hearted. The jury is still out on whether or not it ever led anywhere, but it seems a lot of trouble to go to if it didn’t. It is entirely possible that the remainder collapsed and over the years the traces disappeared. Among those who believe it was completed, some claim that it was used by the church in times of trouble while others maintain it was used by smugglers. It is an intriguing puzzle that may never be solved.

In the 15th century, the place was enlarged to the rear, creating a large area where drinkers could enjoy the warmth of the logs blazing in the fine fireplace. The majority of the upstairs rooms were added at the same time. The new extended building played an important role in local affairs as it was the largest public building in the area. It remained the same until the eighteenth century when it was further extended, doubling the bar area (to the right as you enter) and increasing the stabling behind. It was then that the place took on the form that we are familiar with today. It continues to change. The travellers'’ accommodation upstairs has been converted to function rooms and a flat which incorporates some of the stables in 2008 we hope to again offer accommodation.

The Lamb is not only Eastbourne’s oldest pub, it is one of the oldest in the country. Some time next century it will celebrate its one thousandth birthday. As far as I’m concerned, that’s a pretty solid pedigree — and they still know how to rustle up a decent pint of Harvey’s. If you are interested, the bar staff are always ready to chuck a bit of history your way and, if it’s very quiet and you ask very nicely, they might even take you to look round the cellars, If you haven’t been, it’s well worth a look. They hope to have a more comprehensive history to offer patrons at some point in the next month or so. Until then, I fear you’ll have to put up with me. Sorry. If you want to know more about the place, you’ll have to go and find out for your self. Cheers.