Battle to Hastings...

The Routemeister and I walked along the 1066 Country Walk (mostly): caught the bus to Battle, then from there to Westfield, where we stopped at The Plough (website). 

This is a new pub for me, so good to 'tick' a pub this day, and is situated at the south-eastern edge of Westfield at The Moor, and I think it is on Rock Lane, at least that is what I believe the road is called. A nice old building, haven't been able to find out about its history, sadly, that includes a large restaurant area (40+ covers), plus bare wooden boarded floor throughout the bar area, wooden panelled bar, and wooden panels up to waist high throughout. There are also 2 games tables, including pool, and television, for the conversationally challenged. Some excellent music nights too, including the local band Cushty booked for Christmas Eve night, so there's good entertainment for the locals that night then! 

The service was warm and friendly, and the barmaid was an excellent model for barmaids, she had a very husky voice too, apparently always as she wasn't suffering from a cold! 4 handpumps, though only 2 were used on this visit. Being a Shepherd Neame pub, mostly their own ales are served up, of course, though their website suggests guest ales are sometimes available. This day had their better pale bitter offering, Whitstable Bay (3.9%), featured before on this blog, and a new ale for me, Samuel Adams Blonde Ambition (4.5%). The Blonde Ambition is a collaboration with the Boston (USA) brewer, Samuel Adams, and described as an "American Craft Ale". This is a nice dry pale golden bitter, with that hint of walnut dust dryness in the aftertaste, pretty damned decent actually!  

We returned to the 1066 Country Walk (See website) and carried on to Icklesham, where we dropped into the Robin Hood on the Main Road (to the west), a 17th century inn that has been in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide for quite a few years now. I have discussed the Robin Hood before, it serves food, has a pool table etc, but also, it has an excellent very large outside area at the back, with a great view across the valley towards Hastings Country Park. Real ciders, and up to 7 real ales are served. On this day we had Potbelly Pigs Do Fly, a 4.4% golden bitter with a hint of caramel, it was OK, but the view was better!  

From Icklesham, we wandered down into the valley, and back up to Hastings Country Park, coming down into Hastings 'old town' from the East Hill. We were a trifle tired, and had little time before we ate dinner, so only popped in for one pint, this time at the First Inn Last Out (FILO) in the High Street. I am going to write a bit more about the FILO very soon, so shall just say we had a pint of their own Gold (4.8%), and it was excellent, cheers!

Thursday 22nd November - Another real fire + new pub

First, a new pub for me in Hastings, just to prove I like to carry on searching out the ale and pubs, and another, very unique, real fire to boot! 

 

First, I climbed up Hastings West Hill, past the castle and admired the view from up there, before heading to the only pub open up there at the moment, The Plough.  It has a big airy room with the one bar, and, important to me, 2 real ales on, the ubiquitous Harveys Sussex Best, and Fullers London Pride at £3.20 a pint, competitively priced for Hastings, and in good form, my preferred drink of the two, nice one. I'll be back, cheers!

I then sauntered downhill to the High Street in the old town to the First In Last Out for a second Thursday in a row, and great to see the ebullient Elina behind the bar again, a very good signing for the FILO!  From the 5 ales on offer, I drank their own Crofters (3.8%) and Gold (4.8%), at 10p shy of and 10p more than £3 a pint respectively; a good session ale and a fine full-bodied golden ale. In addition to enjoying the ales and the lovely Elina's company, Tony, the manager and brewer, sat next to me, and we enjoyed good banter; nice, because it's been a long time since the two of us had a chat.

Also, the FILO has one of the most unique fireplaces I've ever seen, again, my photograph doesn't do it justice, but, here it is anyway.

 

Enjoyable day, cheers!

2 Saturday - The Plough at Crowhurst

Having also visited the Dolphin last night, and enjoying live music there, on the Saturday, we ventured, by bus, to Battle, amazingly called because of an important battle there in 1066, not really at Hastings but 5 or 6 miles inland.

Anyway, we had a coffee here and walked back to Hastings via Bexhill again, and then along the coast, calling in, on the way, at The Plough at Crowhurst.

We sat outside whilst eating our packed lunch and enjoying a couple of pints from within, St Austell's Tribute in very good condition again.

This is a pub that sells very good food too, but I'd already made my own, however, was a bit envious of the venison stew... The Plough only opens at lunchtimes until 2.30pm, please take note if visiting, but we did see a little of the F1 qualifying.