Pub Heritage Mile Oak Inn
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East Sussex - Portslade
One star - A pub interior of special national historic interest
Listed Status: Not listed
Mile Oak RoadPortslade, Mile Oak
BN41 2RB
Tel: (01273) 881860
Email: info@mileoakinn.co.uk
Website http://www.mileoakinn.co.uk
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheMileOakInn
Real ale & Cider: Real Ale
Lunchtime Meals: Yes
Evening Meals: Yes
Nearby Station: Fishersgate
Station Distance: 1950m
Public Transport: Near Railway Station (Fishersgate) and Bus Stop
Bus: Yes
View on: Whatpub
Opening in December 1954 for the burgeoning Mile Oak Estate, this is a good example of early postwar pub-building. The plans had been drawn up in 1951 by J. L. Denman & Son of Brighton for the Kemp Town Brewery which, with its 236 pubs, was taken over by the big London brewers, Charringtons, in 1954. As was still usual, it was planned with multiple rooms, in this case three of them: a public bar on the left, saloon at the centre, and a further room on the right. The counter in the first of these is faced with curved oak panels laid horizontally: the back fitting is mostly original. The middle room is similar to the public bar but the back fitting is embellished with an illuminated top section advertising Charringtons. On the walls are strips of panelling. There have been some changes to the layout at the rear in recent times. On the right is a larger room, now the function room, with a counter similar to the other bars but now painted while the bar-back fitting is much modernised. A passage runs down the back of the serveries and off it are two gents’ and two ladies’ toilets which have many original fittings.
Plans dated 27 January 1951 were drawn up by Messrs Denman & Son of 27 Queen’s Road, Brighton for Kemp Town Brewery for a new pub which was opened in Dec. 1954.
Built of brick in a traditional, Neo-Georgian style the pub still retains its three separate bars – what seems to have always been the public bar/games room on the left, saloon bar at the centre, and private bar/function room on the right; the left and right hand bars being of single storey
The left hand bar, now called the Sports Bar, has a carpet over the original parquet floor and retains its original bar counter of curved oak panels laid horizontally and possibly the original top. The bar back fitting is of old shelves on a mirrored back and half of the lower shelving remains and could be the original. There is a substantial shelf opposite the counter for use by customers standing which is probably modern. There is no fixed seating and the fireplace has been removed in recent years.
The middle bar has a carpet over the original parquet floor and retains its original bar counter of curved oak panels laid horizontally and possibly the original top. The bar back fitting is of old shelves on a mirrored back with a ‘Charringtons’ illuminated top section and as Kemp Town Brewery were taken over by Charrington’s in 1954 this is likely to be an original feature; only a small piece of lower shelving remains On the walls all around the room are strips of panelling and there is no fixed seating or signs of a fireplace. In modern times a doorway has been cut into the rear wall to the right of the servery to access the passage and toilets; also, in the same area, a doorway has been cut in the right hand wall for staff to access the servery in the right hand bar (and the original access off the passage is now out of use).
On the right is a larger room now the function room with a parquet floor and carpet on part. It retains its original bar counter of curved oak panels laid horizontally but has been painted a light blue colour and has a modern top over the original. The bar back is much modernised with new tiling but half of the original lower shelves remain. The dado panelling could be original but is also painted a light blue colour. There is a fireplace shaped area on the right but the fireplace has been removed; large Bass mirror on the wall.
A passage runs down the back of the serveries and off it are two gents’ and two ladies’ toilets – the right hand gents has two large original urinals (it is difficult to tell if the urinal opposite is original or a later addition) and the left one an original urinal with 3 individual urinals attached to it, and all toilets have original tiled floors but modern tiles on the walls. There are windows in both the left and right hand lobbies – it maybe that the right hand one was an off sales originally?
In 2017 a Co-op store was built onto the right hand side of the building and half the car park lost.
Full Description
Built of brick in a traditional, Neo-Georgian style the pub still retains its three separate bars – what seems to have always been the public bar/games room on the left, saloon bar at the centre, and private bar/function room on the right; the left and right hand bars being of single storey
The left hand bar, now called the Sports Bar, has a carpet over the original parquet floor and retains its original bar counter of curved oak panels laid horizontally and possibly the original top. The bar back fitting is of old shelves on a mirrored back and half of the lower shelving remains and could be the original. There is a substantial shelf opposite the counter for use by customers standing which is probably modern. There is no fixed seating and the fireplace has been removed in recent years.
The middle bar has a carpet over the original parquet floor and retains its original bar counter of curved oak panels laid horizontally and possibly the original top. The bar back fitting is of old shelves on a mirrored back with a ‘Charringtons’ illuminated top section and as Kemp Town Brewery were taken over by Charrington’s in 1954 this is likely to be an original feature; only a small piece of lower shelving remains On the walls all around the room are strips of panelling and there is no fixed seating or signs of a fireplace. In modern times a doorway has been cut into the rear wall to the right of the servery to access the passage and toilets; also, in the same area, a doorway has been cut in the right hand wall for staff to access the servery in the right hand bar (and the original access off the passage is now out of use).
On the right is a larger room now the function room with a parquet floor and carpet on part. It retains its original bar counter of curved oak panels laid horizontally but has been painted a light blue colour and has a modern top over the original. The bar back is much modernised with new tiling but half of the original lower shelves remain. The dado panelling could be original but is also painted a light blue colour. There is a fireplace shaped area on the right but the fireplace has been removed; large Bass mirror on the wall.
A passage runs down the back of the serveries and off it are two gents’ and two ladies’ toilets – the right hand gents has two large original urinals (it is difficult to tell if the urinal opposite is original or a later addition) and the left one an original urinal with 3 individual urinals attached to it, and all toilets have original tiled floors but modern tiles on the walls. There are windows in both the left and right hand lobbies – it maybe that the right hand one was an off sales originally?
In 2017 a Co-op store was built onto the right hand side of the building and half the car park lost.
