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Picture of The Lamb
Image posted by adam bell
Submitted on Monday, 16th January 2023
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The Lamb, Old Town, Eastbourne

36 High Street
Eastbourne
BN21 1HH
Phone: 01323720545
Correct details

Served areas

Tweets by The Lamb
The Lamb Inn The Lamb Inn Suns out ! Pies are in the oven ! Happy Tuesday ❤️ pie and a pint for £13 9:22 AM Apr 19th 2022 from Instagram
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Reviews of The Lamb (Average Rating: 7 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Lamb

The Lamb Inn is situated on the edge of the Old Town area of Eastbourne on the coastal road out towards Beachy Head. It is a Harvey's house of some character, with 3 rooms. I chose to sit in the front room, which is reached by taking the door to the left of the entrance corridor. This short corridor also leads to the other two rooms and a further corridor takes you to the toilets, where you can find a rather deep well which you can illuminate to peer down.

With its low beams and plenty of character, this is actually one of the oldest pubs in the country. So, it is worth a visit to sample the history and atmosphere. However, Harvey's beers always disappoint me. Sussex Best Bitter & Armada Ale are the regular beers here. The third beer was their Old Ale.

On 10th October 2023 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2442 recommendations about 2441 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


John Bonser left this review about The Lamb

In the heart of the Old Town part of Eastbourne is The Lamb Inn, an attractive looking black and white Tudor style timbered building.

The hanging pub sign bears the date “AD 1180”. Clarification is provided on a fascia panel by the entrance which tells us that “this public house dates from 1240, the cellars date from 1180, the lower bar and function rooms 1742”. We also learn that it is a former coaching inn and “one of the oldest houses of entertainment in the country”

A timber framed U shaped bar servery on the left hand side as you go in serves 3 different interconnecting rooms. What would appear to be the locals bar at the front has a dartboard, several fruit machines and a large screen TV, but leaded windows and low ceiling beams give a reasonably traditional feel. In one corner, a number of old photos record instances where local buses have dropped in unannounced, seemingly causing not inconsiderable damage. Quite why this is is not immediately obvious as the pub occupies a central High Street position and not one on a sharp cornered bend or hill.

Behind the public bar is a more comfortable, carpeted lounge bar. This room is dimly lit with gas lamps, dark beams and fairy lights. Traditional seating includes some padded settles. The walls are decorated with old framed photos and prints and some horse brasses. It’s an attractive, characterful room which would appear to be food orientated. However, on my recent late Sunday afternoon visit, a couple of musicians – advertised as Jessie Pie and The Thorn – were strumming up their guitars in front of the splendid inglenook fireplace, forcing me to beat a swift retreat to one of the other rooms.

On the right of the main entrance, down a few steps, in what would appear to be an extension to the original building, is a larger dimly lit room with a more modern feel, featuring burgundy coloured walls and ceiling, padded seating with cushions and a notable absence of timber, compared with the other two rooms. On the walls are framed photos of local scenes – Eastbourne, Seven Sisters etc – for sale.

A longish corridor, the walls of which are decorated with the usual photographs of other Harveys pubs and the Lewes brewery, leads to the gents toilets, immediately outside of which we see a stone built well with a glass covering. Notably, there’s nothing on the wall close by telling me about this well or what is at the bottom, but, on a noticeboard nearby, a notice tells us that “ all beers are kept in our 1000 year old crypt” and invites me to “please ask for a tour by appointment”, so there’s probably a connection. Local history records tell us that this crypt was a former monastic room and that a subterranean passage leads to The Old Parsonage, next door to St Mary’s Church close by. Back in 1240, the building later to become the current public house was owned by the Rector of the church.

An upstairs room ( not visited ) hosts an active Folk Club and also, apparently Comedy Nights. Previously, this room hosted a Fringe Theatre, the first pub theatre in Eastbourne, as recently as 2009, but this appears to be no longer running. Interestingly, the previously mentioned extension of the original inn hosted amateur dramatic productions, in some of which Dickens participated, and this was known as The Assembly Rooms.

The Lamb Inn is one of three Harveys pubs in Eastbourne ( although The Terminus was closed at the time of my visit ) and was offering Best, Old and Armada, which were all in good form.

It’s a bit of a trek out here from the seafront / pier area of modern Eastbourne, particularly on a cold and windy November late afternoon, but I thought it was worth it and would look to revisit when next in Eastbourne, probably arranging a tour of the crypt at the same time if at all possible.

On 1st January 2014 - rating: 7
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Lamb Inn

A very interesting old pub (although the 1180 claims seem very dubious), with a good range of Harveys beers (including a nice pint of Armada). However, I thought that the bar staff left something to be desired, attitude-wise. Good, but could do (much) better...

On 19th April 2009 - rating: 6
[User has posted 8061 recommendations about 8061 pubs]


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Pub location see interactive map of local area
Map location corrected by Steve C
Eastbourne, 0.77 miles, 14 min walk (show)
Hampden Park (Sussex), 2.11 miles, 40 min walk (show)
Polegate, 4.25 miles, 1 hr 22 min walk (show)
Latest updates View all updates for The Lamb, Eastbourne
10th Oct 2023, 12:20
Review submitted by Blue Scrumpy
 
16th Jan 2023, 19:00
Picture submitted by adam bell approved

Pub Details

Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.

  • Accommodation : Yes last updated 16 August 2022 by paulof horsham
  • Bar Billiards : No last updated 29 July 2013 by Steve C
  • Beer Garden : No last updated 29 July 2013 by Steve C
  • Car Park : Yes last updated 29 July 2013 by Steve C
  • Child Friendly : Yes last updated 18 December 2015 by Steve C
  • Darts : Yes last updated 18 December 2015 by Steve C
  • Function Room : Yes - From review - last updated 01 January 2014 by Dave McNally
  • Hot Food : Yes last updated 29 July 2013 by Steve C
  • Jukebox : No last updated 18 December 2015 by Steve C
  • Live Music : Yes last updated 29 July 2013 by Steve C
  • Live TV Sports : No last updated 18 December 2015 by Steve C
  • Micropub : No last updated 18 December 2015 by Steve C
  • Pinball : No last updated 29 July 2013 by Steve C
  • Pool Table : No last updated 29 July 2013 by Steve C
  • Real Ale : Yes last updated 29 July 2013 by Dave McNally
  • Real Cider : No last updated 10 October 2023 by Blue Scrumpy
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