Saturday 10th November - Fires and pubs, Pett, East Sussex

The Routemeister had visited me for the weekend, so Saturday meant a fairly long walk, this time across the top of the cliffs and Hastings Wildlife Park, a fairly arduous trek to Pett Level, where we hoped to drink at the Smugglers, which we had sat outside looking at the beach virtually a year ago to the day. Sadly, it's temporarily closed, but soon to re-open, I have been reliably informed by one of those taking over the pub, when I spoke to her this Tuesday, there being just a few technical problems, so, fingers crossed!

Addendum and update, even, The Smugglers deal has fallen through, it is now rumoured to not be re-opening before Easter at the earliest! 

Anyway, we headed uphill, through fields (along a right of way) to Pett Village, only a mile or so away. Our first port of call there was the Royak Oak, which has 3 or 4 ales on at a time, today was Hopback Summer Lightning, Morlands Golden Hen and Harveys Sussex Best; a little disappointed that we just missed Triple fff Brewery's Jabberwocky coming on, which was soon to replace the Summer Lightning.  All these ales are either well known and/or already reported on by me, so I'll get onto the fires...

We sat right in front of the smaller fire, note our Beermeister caps drying out and warming up in the photograph above, we had been walking through rain for about 3 hours by now!

The larger fireplace is pictured above, though we'd have been hogging a table nearer to people eating if we'd sat there, so we relaxed in front of the previous fire, well away from people, though two older women did come and sit to the left of that fire; we're obviously not intimidating people.

We then walked along the main road to the Two Sawyers, a favourite of my brother's I believe, and one of mine too.  Here was Ringwood Fortyniner and Harveys Sussex Best, both well reported ales, and Harveys Trundle Bitter (3.5%) and Isfield IPA, a 4.2% pale bitter, with a biscuity flavour and dry aftertaste; from this you can guess this is what we drank there, and I've been reasonably impressed by the ales from this new brewery so far. 

Of course, it being a cold and wet day, a fire was lit at the Two Sawyers too.  Cheers!

East Sussex, Tuesday 11th September 2012

Dave, my mate from West Yorkshire, the 'Tea-meister', visited me this week, so we went out for a walk in East Sussex this Tuesday, and gained refreshment at a few hostelries in East Sussex, maybe not so surprisingly...

We'd walked for a while before reaching the King's Head at Udimore (apparently, pronounced 'yoodeemore', or thereabouts), crackin' little ale house, as ever for country pubs, also a purveyor of food (website at www.thekingsheadudimore.co.uk).

 

The only regular ale here is the ubiquitous Sussex Best from Harveys, and they also have at least one guest ale, but can be up to 3 guests, today it was Bombardier, which I'd forgotten how decent a bitter it is!

 

We met a retired lad from Liverpool, very friendly chap, and we also were served by the friendly, yet busy and very knowledgeable, Julie, the landlady... we were also warned to beware of the 'wild boar' on our travels away from Udimore; we weren't attacked, you'll be glad to know ;-)

From Udimore, we walked south to Icklesham, and, at the Queens Head (website at www.queenshead.com) I had a pint of an old favourite from my time in Yorkshire! Ossett Silver King (4.3%)... Dave had a more local bitter, Rother Valley Level Best (4%), and they also had on their Ruby Wheat Beer (4.5%), Greene King's IPA and Abbot, Sussex Best, London Pride, Landlord, and the more local, Long Man Best Bitter.

 

Please note that a beer festival, featuring local Sussex and Kent ales, is to be held at the Queens Head next week, starting on Thursday 20th September and ending on Sunday 23rd, although some of the ales will be on sale from the Tuesday!

From Icklesham we walked frurther southwards, just missing the last bus back to Hastings from Pett Village (after 15.50!). Anyway, we decided to have another pint at the Two Sawyers (website at www.twosawyers.co.uk) before returning to Hastings; me drinking a lovely pint of Island Brewery Wight Gold (4%), and the Tea-meister having Ringwood Fortyniner; they also had Sussex Best and Wells Bombardier.

After a fast walk to the main road, we caught a bus back to Hastings and had a couple of pints at the Dolphin, always a good choice! In addition to the usual 4 ales, they had Harveys Southdown Harvest Ale, a fine 5% pale, full-bodied, ale, that Dave enjoyed, and TSA Ruby Red IPA (3.8%), that I'd previously tried, but a bit too malty for me, and not bitter enough... as usual, I drank Dark Star Hophead :-)

Cheers!

A midwinter pub crawl in Pett, East Sussex

My brother, Dan, and myself had a bit of a walk, bit tiring start over, up and down, the cliffs from Hastings walking eastwards to Pett Level, where we reached the Smuggler Inn. Up to 6 ales can be on, but just the two Tuesday morning. I had Fuller's London Pride and Dan had Harveys Sussex Best. You can get a drink here as early as 09.30, as they open to serve a very impressive breakfast, and other food too! See www.thesmugglerinn.co.uk

Then we walked uphill, over fields to miss the busy (at times) road, we reached the very recently restored Royal Oak, Pett Village. Can have up to 4 ales, for now though, usually 2 or 3. The unbiquitous Sussex Best was on sale, but we drank Rother Valley Level Best, a 4.0% bitter, very nice too. Food served as well. See www.royaloakpett.com

Finally, we reached my favourite pub of the three (all very good pubs) the Two Sawyers, Pett Village. Food again on sale, and 4 real ales, Harveys Sussex Best and Sussex Old Ale, Ringwood Fortyniner, and we drank the always cracking ale, Dark Star American Pale Ale (APA) 4.7% of pale, dry, hoppy scrumptiousness! We walked back across the top to Hastings, but you can get the hourly bus from over the road (appears to leave about a quarter to the hour, but check for exact times if depending on the bus, I may be wrong). See www.twosawyers.co.uk