After a couple of introductory posts, it’s time to dive into
the heart of my recent trip to Lewes and bring you the pub news that I know
you’ve all been waiting for. Following my al fresco, AI-approved, pasty and
coffee lunch, I set off along Cliffe High Street, crossing the ornate bridge
over the river Ouse, with the iconic view of Harvey’s Brewery to my left. I
then turned directly opposite into the narrow road leading to the John Harvey
Tavern, a charming establishment that has mellowed beautifully over the years.
Although a relatively new addition to the Harvey’s tied estate, the pub has
matured into a thriving two-bar establishment housed in a building faced with
local flints.
I opted for the room on the right, which houses the main
bar, whereas the room opposite is more of an overspill area, that is handy for
diners. There is also a large upstairs room, a fact I recall from a
presentation evening I attended a couple of decades ago. That was when Mrs.
PBT’s and I had our own off-licence in Tonbridge and had an account with
Harvey’s. We regularly bought draft and bottled beers, as well as a range of
interesting wines, which is what led to the invitation. You can read the story
of that evening here, but spoiler alert most of it passed in an alcoholic haze,
largely due to a surfeit of vintage port.
The John Harvey Tavern provided an excellent venue for the
presentation and the drinks, and whilst I’ve made several return visits since,
stepping inside the pub is a guaranteed to bring a smile to my face, as I
recall that rather boozy evening. The Tavern is always a pleasant place to be,
given its tucked away location close to the river and virtually opposite the
brewery yard. Several Harvey’s beers were on tap that day, as you can see from
the photo, but my tipple of choice was Lewes Castle Brown Ale, a beer not often
seen in cask form but tasty and enjoyable.
Moving further along Cliffe High Street, takes the thirsty
visitor to the Gardener’s Arms, a small, but thriving pub that has long been
regarded as Lewes’s premier, independent ale house. The Gardener’s consists of
two, quite basic rooms – a front bar and a back bar with a serving area in the
middle. Serving up to four different ever-changing cask ales, it attracts many
local characters. During my relatively short stay at the bar, I engaged with a
couple of local wags, plus a barmaid who clearly knew both her beers, as well
as keeping customers in order.
I wasn’t quite as impressed though with the beer she
recommended, as a substitute for the Burning Sky, Plateau, advertised on the
chalkboard outside. The latter unfortunately, had just ran out, and the 4.0%
Hip-Hop from Langham Brewery, was far too citrusy for my liking. I’m not very
familiar with Langham beers, and I’m not even sure where the place is. One
local claimed that it’s near Chichester, but regardless of its origin, it
wasn’t the beer for me. Never mind, you win some, you lose some, and the
atmosphere and banter in the Gardener’s more than made up for a beer that I
struggled to enjoy.
Next, I set out in search of a pub I knew vaguely about,
both in name and location, but had never visited. Crossing the road, I
walked back up the steep School Hill, which was enough to get my heart pounding
and legs aching. At the top, I turned right into Fisher Street, passed a
now-closed pub, whose name escapes me, located near the War Memorial. I
remember visiting it once on November 5th and actually getting
served—not always easy if you weren’t a member of a local bonfire society. The
pub I was looking for was the Elephant and Castle, and the vague idea I had of
its location, on the northern flank of the imposing Lewes Castle mound, turned
out to be correct.
Unfortunately, the pub was closed, boarded up and looking a
bit sorry for itself. I’m not sure why it closed, or when it ceased training,
but looking at the condition of the building, I would say the closure took
place quite recently. According to the Harvey’s website, the Elephant &
Castle belongs to the brewery, and is described as a traditional Lewes pub,
that was built in 1838. Selling four cask ales alongside a number of
craft beers, and a Good Beer Guide pub for 15 years. Home of Commercial Square
Bonfire Society, with good, home cooked food served daily, plus the best pub
function room in Lewes. So why is the place closed? Answers please, on a
postcard.
I took a couple of pictures and walked back up to the castle
mound, then down again to visit a classic Lewes pub and one of my favourites,
in the town. I’m talking about the Lewes Arms, an attractive brick-built pub
with a prominent rounded corner, close to the former Beards Brewery in Star
Lane. A quick side step before we
move onto the Lewes Arms. Beards were a company that had opted out of brewing
in 1958, primarily because their cramped, town-centre brewery, was suffering
from a lack of space and, more seriously, a yeast infection. Beards felt that by pooling resources with Harvey’s,
the future of both companies would be assured. Harvey’s would benefit from the
increased capacity, whilst Beards would not have the bother of having to brew
the beer themselves.
This arrangement lasted until 1986, when Beards pubs
became free to choose from a wide range of different cask ales supplied by
the company’s wholesaling division. This side of the business was later sold
off; becoming the well-known wholesaling company The Beer Seller. In the
summer of 1998, Beard & Co agreed the sale of their entire tied
estate to Greene King, and the company to all intents and purposes
ceased to exist. It was rumoured that Harvey’s were somewhat put out
by this deal, as not only did they lose their supply contract with Beards, but
they also lost the chance to buy the company’s pubs. Harvey’s, had been under
the impression they would get “first refusal” on the Beards
estate, should it ever come up for sale, although Harvey’s have never
openly admitted this. The Beards brewery buildings still stand, although they
have now been converted into an arts centre alongside spaces for a number of
small businesses.
Back to the pub, and last Friday the Lewes Arms was serving beers from Fuller’s, St. Austell, and Gale’s. When I arrived, the pub was quiet,
with just a handful of middle-aged drinkers chatting in the front bar, passing
the time of day and sharing the banter. I settled in the rear bar, which was a
nice cosy and comfortable space, albeit with a view through the glass, into the
front bar. I stayed for a pint of
Seafarers, which was in good condition, before making my way past the sprawling
Beards complex and heading back down to High Street. It was then on to the
station and the train home, but not before one final pint. You might recall
from my previous post, that the bus journey down to Lewes, was something of a
drag – not quite a complete nightmare, but it felt as though it went on
forever. The train, which despite involving changing at either St. Leonards or
Gatwick, was the quickest and most comfortable way back to Tonbridge. Unlike the
bus, I would have to buy a ticket, but with a third off the price, due to my “Old Git’s” Railcard, the faster journey would be worth every penny.
I consequently headed down Station Street, passing on my
left, the Royal Oak, another former Beards pub. I was tempted to nip in, but it
was getting late, and I had promised Mrs PBT’s that I’d be back in time for
tea. I therefore gave the Royal Oak a miss and continued to the bottom of the
hill and called in at the Landsdown instead. Located conveniently close to
Lewes station, the Lansdown Arms is a quirky pub, with a raised floor area at
the far end. Signs notify visitors of the possible trip hazard, but customers
only really need to take a step up, if they wish to visit the toilets.
Harvey’s Best, Pells Pale, Landlord, plus Thornbridge Jaipur,
were the cask offerings, and the latter was the obvious
choice for me. I have
made several visits to the Landsdown, over the years, and have always found it
to have a real local feel, without being too cliquey. The flagstone floor and
old-world interior, help in this respect, and the location almost opposite the
station, make it the ideal pub for those arriving or departing Lewes, by train.
My journey home, followed the south coast route via Polegate
and Eastbourne, followed by a change of trains at St Leonards. The revenue enforcement
staff were checking tickets, on board the service out of Eastbourne, as apparently
this section of the network, is prone to fare dodging – and you all thought the
town that is home to a high percentage of the over-65’s, was such a quiet and genteel
sort of place?
Seaside towns don’t always attract the right sort of people, as
a work colleague, who lives in Worthing, has testified, on several occasions. I was alright, though, despite having difficulty in retrieving
my paper ticket. Tonbridge still issues proper card tickets, unlike those flimsy efforts on
the Southern part of the rail network, as Stafford Paul will remember from our
visit to Chichester a couple of years ago.
