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Chat about:
Beer of the Week (w/e 14th September 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by S Armstrong
Submitted on Tuesday, 1st November 2022
With picture contributions to 1120 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (17 more images)
Detail Pages
Ye Olde Pump House, Hastings
Hastings
TN34 3EE
Served areas
Reviews of Ye Olde Pump House (Average Rating: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Blue Scrumpy left this review about Ye Olde Pump House
George Street appears to be the main pedestrianised tourist drag through the Old Town. The Olde Pumphouse is one of at least two Shepherd Neame pubs along this street. They've clearly found a good opportunity to make money here.
Regardless of the age of this pub, it's a fabulous looking building, both inside and out. The interior features lots of wood, with low beamed ceilings covered with horse brasses. The main entrance is from an alleyway to the right-hand side of the pub. This climbs up to the first floor and the main bar. There is a room to the front on the first floor named Mad Jacks Bar, whilst stairs lead down to the Smugglers Rest to the front at street level. This was sealed off during our Monday afternoon visit. A further area to the rear has further seating and a pool table, whilst there is an outdoor hillside terrace at the end of the alleyway.
TV screens were all displaying the history of the pub. Perhaps they are used for broadcasts at other times. Music was playing quietly. Dogs are allowed in some areas. The unquestionable sound of American tourists could be heard and food was also being served.
At the bar, it's all Shepherd Neame beers. Spitfire is the regular cask ale. The other 3 handpulls had Whitstable Pale Ale, Creekside & Coast Drifter. Keg beers included First Drop, Bear Island & Iron Wharf, whilst the cider was Orchard Drop. At just over £12 for 2 pints, it's not cheap. But this pub has plenty to admire and I was glad we had given it a try.
On 3rd September 2025
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3232 recommendations about 3230 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about Ye Olde Pump House
Well I can help clear up the issue about the age of this pub by pointing everyone at the rather excellent www.hastingspubhistory.com website which explains the history of this one and other Hastings and St Leonards pubs in a lot of detail.
As a pub it is less than 70 years old, having first opened in 1956. Before the Second World War it was three separate dwellings centred on a well-known boot and shoe shop. It owes its mock Tudor frontage to a common activity after the war, when damaged buildings were bought up cheaply, then ‘tudorised’ in the style of Mock Tudor and sold at a good profit. Although this building did suffer some bomb damage it was more damaged by a fire in 1953 which left it derelict and in need of repair. Initially it was only the small downstairs bar but the wife of the second licensee transformed the upstairs room into a fashionable bar room. Today you enter into this room from the entrance up a side alley to the right of the pub.
So yes its all fake and completely mock Tudor. But you have to say its all done very well and ticks all the boxes for what the tourist view of a Tudor inn should be.
For my visit the upstairs bar hand pumps had Bishops Finger, Whitstable Bay and Citra Smack on three of the pumps with the fourth not in use. This time I went for the Whitstable Bay, and it was perfectly fine.
Of the three Shep pubs I probably thought this was the best to visit, even now with the knowledge that it’s a post war build. You can still fool the tourists though by referring to it as Elizabethan, just don’t tell them it’s Elizabeth II.
However, if you do want to have a beer in a pub that does have a long history, then you just have to walk over the pedestrianised street to The Anchor opposite. And if you want to visit a pub with a more interesting ale choice, then duck all three of these Shep pubs and head to the Albion at the end of the lane.
On 1st September 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2279 recommendations about 2135 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about Ye Olde Pump House
A fascinating looking building and as a result rather touristy. It was table service only post lockdown and the service was painfully slow, being a solo drinker the staff emphasis was on the multiple groups of diners,unable to move around the pub being table bound and faced with the only available cask beer being a rather bland Shepherd Neame Masterbrew, I didn't much enjoy my short stay here.
On 12th October 2020
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2215 recommendations about 2181 pubs]
View more reviews of Ye Olde Pump House (7)
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- Official site of Ye Olde Pump House - www.yeoldepumphouse.co.uk
- Facebook page of Ye Olde Pump House - www.facebook.com
- CAMRA WhatPub :: Ye Olde Pump House - whatpub.com
- Historic Pub Interiors - pubheritage.camra.org.uk
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 : No last updated 23 July 2025 by Tris C
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 23 July 2025 by Tris C
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 23 July 2025 by Tris C
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 23 July 2025 by Tris C
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 23 July 2025 by Tris C
- Car Park : No last updated 27 July 2024 by paulof horsham
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 23 July 2025 by Tris C
- Darts : No last updated 03 September 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 23 July 2025 by Tris C
- Function Room : Yes - According to Twitter - last updated 21 July 2015 by Dave McNally
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 27 July 2024 by paulof horsham
- Jukebox : No last updated 03 September 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Karaoke : No last updated 03 September 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Live Music : No last updated 03 September 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Live TV Sports : Yes last updated 03 September 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Micropub : No last updated 27 July 2024 by paulof horsham
- Pinball : No last updated 03 September 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Pool Table : Yes last updated 23 July 2025 by Tris C
- Quiz Night : No last updated 03 September 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Real Ale : Yes - Shepherd Neame. - last updated 23 July 2025 by Tris C
- Real Cider : No last updated 23 July 2025 by Tris C
- Wheelchair Access : No last updated 03 September 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- WiFi : Yes last updated 23 July 2025 by Tris C
