The Hole in the Wall

There is much speculation surrounding the origin of this pub’s name which only came into use in 1951, previously being referred to as St Martin’s Brewery – St Martin of Tours was the patron saint of the Worshipful Company of Vintners.

The Hole in the Wall pub
Hole in the Wall 1950s image

Immediately adjacent was one of the city’s Poor Houses (workhouses) and it is said that the inmates were passed food through a hole in the wall to the neighbouring property. Another theory is that workers at the St Martin’s Brewery that also abutted the property would pass barrels back and forth between the inn and the brewery through a hole in the cellar wall. Another theory, which is more likely a folk tale, is that there was a debtor’s prison on this site, and family and friends would pass food and drink through this hole to their loved ones.

A plaque on the bar wall states 1742, however, the brewery dates back at least to 1684 and probably earlier.

Hole in the Wall date plaque

Long-serving William ‘Billy’ Parson was landlord of St Martin’s Brewery from 1915 to 1927 when he died at the age of 37.

1920 St Martins Brewery advert for stout extract

The inn was the location for the keenly fought dart’s competition, the Brickwood Challenge Cup (Brickwoods being the owning brewers). Cups were presented at the ‘annual smoker’ – a smoking concert. Darts became very popular in the 1930s with over 12,000 clubs and 750,000 members registered with the National Darts Association in 1937. The Brewery was also the location for various start-up clubs including the ‘ping-pongers’ and the ‘air riflers’ and was a meeting place for organisations such as the ‘Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes (RAOB) Royal Sussex Branch’, the ‘Ancient Order of Foresters Court Prince of Wales, No. 4879’ – and the Chichester Post Office employees who recalled the time when innkeepers acted as postmasters. The first dinner of the Chichester Military Band was held there in 1937.

1926 St Martins Brewery Personal advert for RAOB meeting

In 1938 a talk at the inn entitled ’The Problems of Economic Planning’ arranged by The Workers’ Educational Association had special reference to Russia – then suffering the ‘Great Purge’ under Stalin. The tenor of the presentation by the speaker, who had visited Russia, was on the efforts of unskilled workers undertaking the massive reconstruction.

The freehold of the pub is held by Green King.  Nos 2 and 3 St Martin’s were Grade II listed in 1950.

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