Photos and articles about Brighton and Hove in the time of coronavirus. See our collection and add your own!

Photos: then and now

Windmill pub
Image reproduced with permission from Brighton History Centre
Windmill pub, Upper North Street, 2004
Photo by Mike Snewin

Comments about this page

  • Delighted to see these photos as my maternal grandmother was the licensee of the Windmill in the very early 1900s. A new-found family member sent me the photo as it was back then, but good to see how it looks now. Another example of what a great site this is! Many thanks.

    By Jean (27/11/2004)
  • This takes its name from the Vine’s Mill that lay further up the hill, near Vine Place. One of a series of mills in this area, there were more along Dyke Road on the breezy ridge and a really big one, Hodson’s Black Mill, in West Hill Street (site now of Mill Cottages?). In the 1970s I worked near here and drank there of an evening, a real Brighton student boozer – with all that that implies! The landlord could not have been more different; white shirt, blazer, military tie, Brylcreemed hair! He must have hated all his clientele, who were all (apart from me!) Univ of Sussex 70s students. He eventually moved to the Royal Sovereign in Preston St which had a much more saloon bar crowd.

    By Geoffrey Mead (27/02/2006)
  • The Windmill used to be a regular haunt back in the late 80s/early 90s. Most vivid memory is watching England’s World Cup semi final defeat to Germany in 1990 crammed into the tiny back bar.  

    By Iain Read (14/11/2014)
  • I would be very interested in piecing together some of the history of The Windmill if anyone can help me?

    By Rosie (11/09/2017)
  • My parents ran the Windmill from 1987 to 1992 I have many happy memories of this place.

    By Louise (26/08/2021)
  • My dad was a long standing Scottish Barman at this pub in the 70’s I think the landlord was the military man described above and his wife Joan.

    By Sue (22/02/2022)
  • Re-reading my answer from 2006[!] I need to correct myself, the pub takes its name from the mill at the top of the road in what is now Clifton Terrace gardens, not Vines mill, which is further north near to the former Children’s Hospital. On this SW facing slope with abundant sea breezes and further up along Dyke Rd there were a series of mills at various times. This pub is one of only a dozen or so buildings in that area that pre-date the Victorian devts of Clifton -Montpelier.

    By Dr Geoffrey Mead (23/02/2022)

Add a comment about this page

Your email address will not be published.