The Bute Arms c1900
My grandfather the publican
The first photograph here shows my great-grandfather, William Stevens,who was publican of the Bute Arms in Bute Street.
We think it was taken around 1900 although it could be older. My grandmother was his daughter, Edith, and is one of the younger women in the picture.
The second photograph shows the location as it is today. Quite amazing really how little changed it is.
Previously The Bute Arms 2014
Do you know?
When did the building cease to be used as a public house? Do you remember it – or have any information you can share? Please leave a comment below.
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Hi Roger,
Nice picure. The Bute Arms was a Beer-house built around 1878 and William Stevens took over there as the publican around 1899. He remained there throughout the duration of WW1, being replaced around 1920. Oddly, trade directories from 1899 until 1907 list him as M. Stevens and William is first listed in 1908, although the 1901 census does confirm he was the publican at that time. In 1962, Thomas Chapman, the publican at that time, bought the premises and changed its use to a Grocer’s shop.
Regards, Andy
It also possible to argue the other way, “its changed so much” …. look at the old flint wall to the left, a newer small house has been fitted in between the buildings. High wall to the right now gone and a dormer room built on the roof, cars, yellow lines and brightly painted houses, although I do agree the building its self has changed very little!
I was married in April 1964, and we moved to nearby Walpole Terrace. The Bute Arms was not there then.
I had to check the location of Bute Street. For those people like me who weren’t sure where it is, it runs east from Sutherland Road in Kemp Town, between Rochester Street (to the north) and Hendon Street (to the south). The former Bute Arms is tucked away on the south east corner of Bute Street and Livingstone Street.
I have just spent the last year renovating The Bute Arms in Bakers Bottom and have just painted the exterior from the Magnolia it was, to a bright and new Bermuda Blue.
Have you painted the entire frontage Simon? Are you able to post an up-to-date photo? Regards, Alan.
Hello, I live at 29 Hendon Street which is the road next to/parallel to Bute St. My house is the pale yellow one with the newly erected dormer in the background in this pic (the dormer was built in 2014). The house has since been painted as part of a full renovation. My husband and I did a lot of this work ourselves and when I was stripping paint from the original arched kitchen window that still exists (basement level, out of sight) I found under the final original coat of paint a note written in old writing in pencil that said ‘made with pride by “unreadable” Owen/Oliver, “unreadable” October 1874. I stupidly sanded it off by mistake a second after I saw it. The deeds to my house show it was sold in 1955 by a lady to Brighton Council for council housing, (who I bought it from in 2013 as part of the right to buy scheme). Fascinating stuff. I would love to know more about this area and see more pictures.
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