Last of the Summer Ale – Russell Hunt
2 NIGHT STAY IN HISTORICAL TOWN OF LEWES, SUSSEX.
BEST TO BOOK YOUR TRAIN JOURNEYS IN ADVANCE AS
CHEAPER, PLUS I WENT ON A BUSY SUNDAY MORNING
AND THE TRAIN WAS FULL. FROM LEICESTER TO
LONDON ST. PANCRAS WITH A QUICK CHANGE
DOWNSTAIRS ONTO THE THAMESLINK LINE TO EAST
CROYDON, THEN DIRECT TO LEWES. TAKES ABOUT
3.5 HOURS. NOTE UPON ARRIVAL: PUBS ONLY DO FOOD
AT LUNCH TIMES ON A SUNDAY- NO EVENING MEALS.
FROM LEWES TRAIN STATION REACH THE LANSDOWN
ARMS AND ENJOY A SCARAMANGA (007 REFERENCE), A
ZESTY 3.9% GOLDEN EXTRA PALE ALE (GF & VG) FROM
GUN BREWERY.
TURN RIGHT AND FOLLOW THE ROAD
INTO TOWN TO THE END OF CLIFFE HIGH STREET AND
TURN RIGHT AGAIN INTO THE NEWER PART OF TOWN ON
THE RIVER OUSE. TO THE LEFT IS THE HARVEYS
BREWERY WHICH WAS MAKING BEER ON THE MONDAY
MORNING (AN EXQUISITE AROMA I HAVE NOT ENJOYED
SINCE MY TIME AT THE WEST END BREWERY IN
LEICESTER); USING WATER FILTERED THROUGH THE
SUSSEX DOWNS OVER 30 YEARS WITH THEIR UNIQUE 60
YEAR OLD YEAST STRAIN. OPPOSITE IS THE JOHN
HARVEY TAVERN, A LONG AND SPACIOUS TAPROOM
WHERE I ENJOYED A SISTERS (SEVEN SISTERS CLIFFS
REFERENCE), 3.4% TABLE BEER. A HOPPY, EARTHY
AMBER IPA.
NEXT DOWN THE CHARMING SEMI PEDESTRIANISED
ROAD (WHICH REMINDED ME OF PETERBOROUGH FROM
MY FESTIVAL VISITS) IS THE TINY GARDENERS ARMS. IN
THIS MICROPUB WITH A DART BOARD AT THE REAR, I
QUAFFED AN OAKHAM SUPERDELIC (NAMED AFTER THE
NEW ZEALAND HOP), AN ATYPICAL OAKHAM 4.2% ALE
TROPICAL BREW BUT WITH RIPE BERRY NOTES.
I STAYED AT THE COSY DORSET HOTEL ROUND THE
CORNER WHICH HAS 6 ROOMS ABOVE THE HARVEYS
BREWERY PUB. EACH ROOM IS NAMED AFTER A FAMOUS
PERSON CONNECTED TO THE AREA- MINE WAS NAMED
THOMAS PAINE AFTER A LOCAL POLITICAL CAMPAIGNER,
BUT THERE WAS A SIMON DE MONTFORT ROOM TOO!
THEY HAD A SELECTION OF 4 HARVEYS BEERS BUT I
ONLY ATE A GREAT BEER BATTERED FISH AND CHIPS
THERE THE FOLLOWING EVENING.
SIGHTSEEING TIME: RETRACING MY STEPS BACK TO THE
STATION BUT TURNING RIGHT PAST THE APPROPRIATELY
NAMED KINGS HEAD (NO STOP FOR BEER HERE) IS THE
ANNE OF CLEVES HOUSE AND MUSEUM. A BEAUTIFUL
BEAMED TUDOR BUILDING WITH MANY ROOMS,
FURNISHINGS AND ARTIFACTS WITH A DELIGHTFUL BACK
GARDEN. THIS WAS PART OF HENRY VIII’S 4TH QUEENS
DIVORCE SETTLEMENT BUT SHE NEVER EVEN STAYED
THERE! *BE SURE TO BUY A JOINT TICKET FOR THE
CASTLE FOR BETTER VALUE.
OVER THE ROAD ARE THE REMAINS OF THE PRIORY OF
LEWES (FREE- OPEN 24/7) WHERE KNIGHTS IN PADDED
ARMOUR AND SHIELDS WERE SPARRING WITH WOODED
DIRKS. NOW A TUMBLED DOWN TOMBSTONE RUIN
AFTER THE DISSOLUTION OF THE MONASTERIES FROM
1536-41 DUE TO CHIEF MINISTER THOMAS CROMWELL
PROCESSING AND SELLING THE LAND FOR THE KINGS
BENEFIT IN THE REFORMATION.
A SHORT WALK BACK AND DOWNHILL TAKES YOU
THROUGH THE OASIS OF CALM THAT IS THE SOUTHOVER
GRANGE GARDENS AND UP HILL THROUGH THE TIGHT
AND TWISTING ‘TWITTENS’ (NARROW ALLEYWAYS) TO
THE OLD HIGH STREET.
ON THIS BROAD STREET OF FANTASTIC OLD BUILDINGS
AND HOUSES OF LEWES VISIONARIES ARE A STRING OF
PUBS. THE BREWERS ARMS IS A LOW CEILINGED QUIET
AND TRADITIONAL PUB QUAINTLY STUCK IN TIME WHERE
I HAPPILY PERCHED ON A BAR STOOL TO TALK TO BOTH
LANDLORD AND LOCALS OVER A BALANCED AND TASTY
HARVEYS BEST, 4.0%.
HEADING AWAY FROM THE RIVER IS THE PELHAM ARMS
(NOBODY IN SO I DIDN’T STOP) AND THEN THE GREENE
KING AFFILIATED BLACK HORSE– WHICH HAD AN
EXCEPTIONAL XXX LANGHAM MILD, 4.4% WITH
CHOCOLATE MALT BITTERNESS… AND A TOADS
TOURNAMENT. THE ATMOSPHERE WAS BUZZING WITH
SPORTS ON TV AND THE PUB MATCH (A LOCAL COUNTY
GAME OF THROWING WEIGHTY BRASS COINS ONTO/INTO
A LEAD TOPPED TABLE WITH A HOLE IN THE CENTRE
FOR POINTS). I HAD A GO DURING THE TEAMS
STUPENDOUS SUPPER PUT ON BY THE HOST.
BACK THE OTHER WAY ONE WILL FIND THE NORMAN
CASTLE WITH AN IMPRESSIVE GATEHOUSE AND
SWITCHBACK STEPS FROM THE BARBICAN UP TO THE
SHELL KEEP FOR BREATHTAKING VIEWS OF THE AREA,
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS OF PIVOTAL BATTLES. *NOTE BOTH
THE CASTLE AND AFOREMENTIONED TUDOR HOUSE ARE
CLOSED ON MONDAYS.
CONTINUING DOWN THE HILL ARE THE RIGHTS OF MAN
(IMPRESSIVE FRONTAGE) THAT ALWAYS SEEMED TO
CLOSE EARLY AND THE ROYAL OAK. HERE I JUST
MISSED OUT ON A HOT EVENING MEAL BUT HAD THE
CONVENIENTLY NAMED LONG MAN OLD MAN (4.3%)
SMOKEY, ORIGINAL OLD ALE- JET BLACK WITH A GOOD
HEAD.
TUCKED AWAY IN A PUZZLE OF TIGHT STREETS IS THE
OLD BOWLING GREEN AND THE LEWES ARMS. I CHOSE A
(FULLERS) GALES SEAFARER, 3.6% QUENCHING AND
QUAFFABLE AMBER. LOTS OF CURIOSITIES AND SNUG
ROOMS HERE. ON THE WALL WAS A 3FT STICK (OF YEW)
USED IN AN OBSCURE PUB GAME OF DWILE FLONKING.
HERE, ONE TEAM (THE GIRTERS) HOLDS HANDS
FORMING A MOVING CIRCLE (GIRTING) WHILST THE
OPPOSING FLONKER ATTEMPTS TO HIT THE DANCERS
WITH A BEER SOAKED CLOTH (THE DWILE) ON THE STICK
(THE DRIVELLER)! POINTS MEAN PRIZE HITS AND MISSES
MEAN ALE DRINKING FORFEITS WITH MUCH CHANTING.
NOT TO BE OUTDONE BY THIS I REGALLED (AND
OURAGED!) THE BARKEEP WITH TALES OF MY ESSEX
CHILDHOOD “WHEAT WHOPPING” VILLAGE FETES WITH
THEIR GARTER SNATCHING WENCH CHASES BY BEERED
UP MEN IN SMOCKS BRANDISHING WHEAT WHIPS ON
THE VILLAGE GREEN. BUT THAT IS ANOTHER STORY…
ROUND THE CORNER WAS THE ELEPHANT AND CASTLE
WHICH WAS CLOSED THAT NIGHT AND DOWN THE HILL
THE VOLUNTEER WHICH I AVOIDED.
THERE ARE 3 CRAFT
BREWERIES IN THE AREA- ABYSS (CLOSED 6PM SUNDAY,
SHUT MON-WED) HAS A TAPHOUSE NEAR THE DORSET
HOTEL, BEAK AND BURNING SKY ON INDUSTRIAL
ESTATES OUT OF TOWN. SOME OF THESE BEERS WERE
AVAILABLE IN THE TOWN CENTRE.
THESE PUBS WERE ENJOYED OVER THE TWO NIGHTS AS
I DID MUCH SIGHTSEEING, THE MONDAY I HIKED ALONG
THE PEACEHAVEN CLIFFS AND ENJOYED THE PEBBLE
BEACH AT NEWHAVEN. THERE ARE TWO PUBS BY THE
HARBOUR- THE HOPE INN AND THE ARK, THE LATTER A
PITSTOP FOR A LONG MAN BLONDE, A SESSIONABLE
3.8%- CRISP, SMOOTH AND SLAKABLE.
OVERALL I FOUND THE LOCALS VERY FRIENDLY AND
ACCOMODATING AND IT WAS GOOD TO GO OUT OF
SEASON WHEN QUIETER, THE HOTEL HALF THE PRICE,
YET STILL HAVE AMAZING WEATHER AT THE END OF
SUMMER. A GREAT ESCAPE AND RECOMMENDATION.