Built in 1865
The western corner of North Lane and Frederick Street had properties built on it from the 1820s, but it was not until 1865 that the first Blue Posts Tavern was built upon the site. The pub was one of a number attached to Henry Smithers’ North Street Brewery. Henry Simons was the first publican, having moved to the pub from his premises in Mount Sion Place, where he had been a Grocer and Beer Seller.
Renumbered in 1870s
The name Blue Posts is thought to have related to steeple chasing, although what Simons connection to this is, is unknown. Within a couple of years, North Lane was renamed to North Road and the Blue Posts retained its number, 68. During the early 1870s the street was renumbered twice and the pub became #55 and then #58.
Major expansion in 1908
In 1908, major rebuilding and expansion of the pub took place, also incorporating numbers 3 and 4, Frederick Street. The first publican of the rebuilt pub was Henry Penfold and the premises became part of the Kidd & Hotblack chain. In 1926 the pub was taken over by Tamplin’s and continued until it was de-licensed around the early 1960’s.
Do you remember?
Do you remember the Blue Posts Tavern when it was a pub? If you can share your memories with us, please leave a comment below.
Comments about this page
I have looked at this building many times and at last I have read something about its history. My family home was 4 Mount Zion Place and was such from 1888 until demolition in 1965. This street dated back to 1809-1820 and was Zion. It was also Zion right through the 1900s, but in the 1871 census it had inexplicably become Sion. I have never understood this.
Hi Peter, like many places in Brighton, the names recorded for some roads have always had different spellings (Old Steine/Steyne, Mount Zion/Sion etc). The road you refer to was listed in Baxter’s 1822 directory as Sion Hill. On Pigott’s 1824 map it was listed as Mount Zion Place, but in his directory of 1828 it is listed as Mount Sion Place. Similarly local newspapers carry both versions of the spelling. Thus you can see, even from the earliest times, either version was equally correct. Regards
I was fascinated by the previous pages about this building as I must have walked past it loads of times in the past but it obviously did not register that it had a long history. It must have been fabulous as a public house early in the last century through the war years and right up to the ’60s. When I took the picture above I tried to imagine the building in full flow, packed out with drinkers maybe on their way back to the station after a day out in Brighton in the ’20s and ’30s. It’s a fabulous building, a shame it looks a bit unused at the moment.
I lived in this flat for 6 months when it was pointed out to me that it was a former pub. Quite small inside. Would be fancinated to see a picture of the inside.
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