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Firstly, to someone who had been a visitor to the museum and attended a course, it was very disappointing to find its representatives describing this pub as mid-Victorian. Given they are building experts, they must have knwn it was not true. At the very latest, it exists by 1836, and, given the name, I think 1833 is a more likely date. The Marquis of Lansdowne became a working class hero for pushing through the reform act, and heroes like this were often commemorated in pub names. SInce I have been able to do that research, experts on buildings should have been able to do the same and more - this appears to have been deliberate misrepresentation. If so that is shameful.
Secondly, a map of 1826 shows that there is a building on the site. We do not know what it was, and as I suppose that the msueum holds the deeds and is unlikely to let anyone else see them, we may never know. Looking at the picture of the pub again, I can see no reason why it could not be late Georgian, certianly from the exterior. Even if this is a rebuild, parts of that older building are almost certainly contained within this one. So I do not think that the building was properly researched. In Bristol, English Heritage ignored our research which showed that a pub in a similar case contained a much older building - indeed, its representatives said we were wrong. Inevitably, as the building was demolished, the evidence that we were right became obvious - but by then it was too late.
Finally, it is very sad that the museum trustees ignored the architects who had given them a wonderful extension which contrived to be at once modern and respectful to the old building in favour of Chipperfield. Chipperfield used to be one of my favourite architects - his building for the River and Rowing museum at Henley is a joy. But it seems to me that as he has got older and more famous, the spark that made his designs magical has gone. To paraphrase Le Corbusier: they do not make me happy and art no longer enters in. That is the essential difference between a building and architecture, according to the great man. And that is very sad indeed.