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The Carlton Arms was situated on Carlton Hill, closing in 1951. Previously known as the Italian Arms.

My family has a long history with the Carlton Arms, Brighton. The pub was run by my great grandfather William Gains Burchett from the 1860s to the turn of the century. My grandfather was born and brought up in the pub with his three sisters. Sadly I was never able to speak with any of these people about their experiences there. I have seen the old photos of the Carlton as it use to look but I cannot imagine the sort of lifestyle that people living and working there would have experienced. Such places were "drinking houses" in the true sense of the word and I have read that the very concept of them was discontinued with the demolition of a large number of these houses in the slum clearance of Brighton in the 1900s.

Steve Burchett

Ever since I can remember (circa 1948), my mother used a lovely old pewter beer mug as a flower vase.  I have now had this vase for 15 years.  I believe it to be my grandfather’s personal beer mug as it is engraved with WB and underneath it is marked in flowing script “Carlton Arms, Brighton”.

Sandra Alameddine (July 2011)

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