Published by Breedon Books
May 2005 • £9.99 • PB • 173pp
210 x 147mm • 160 black & white photographs plus maps
[ISBN 1 85983 448 5]
Old Sussex Inns is the second book by "journalist, pub enthusiast and CAMRA member” Donald Stuart. His first book London’s Historic Inns and Taverns was published in 2004. Old Sussex Inns takes Mr Stuart into the towns and villages of East and West Sussex where he uncovers a wealth of interesting and obscure facts about the pubs and villages he visits.
The book starts with a number of maps of the two counties, the author then leaps straight in to the task of describing the inns with an A-to-Z listing of the towns and villages with a brief description of the place, often with the origin of the place name (Fittleworth or "Fitela’s Woro" was a Saxon enclosure owned by Fitela). Under the place name and description are the inns of the title.
Each inns’ past has been researched well, and there are some interesting stories of ghosts, highwaymen, kings (particularly Charles I who passed though Sussex pursued by the Parliamentarians), pop groups, how a particular inn got its name and ‘did you knows’ (for example there is only one Black Rabbit in the country and you can find that at Offham near Arundel).
Mr Stuart has, obviously, a keen interest in both the area of research and the physical area covered by his book. His writing style, which is easy and flows well, shows off his enthusiasm and you will find yourself reading about inns that you have never heard of and may never visit (but maybe you will be tempted now?).
The book itself is slightly too large to fit in your pocket, but then that is not really its purpose. This book is not a guide in the sense that the Good Beer Guide or local pub guides point you to pubs serving excellent real ale. In fact Mr Stuart hardly mentions beer in the majority of his descriptions of the inns (except in the historical sense or where there is an interesting fact to relate). Also, the pubs, on the whole, are not given full locations other than the village or town they are in and some of them are difficult to find, although there are four maps of highlighted areas (Chichester, Steyning, Lewes and Rye) and many of the inns are accompanied by black and white photographs.
I do not believe the author intended this book to be that sort of guide, rather it compliments another guide that will direct you to the pubs serving quality real ale, it is a book that you can dip in-and-out-of while dreaming of travelling to some of the quality pubs described by Mr Stuart.
If there is one criticism of Old Sussex Inns it is that there is no introduction, you do not know why or for what purpose this guide has been written and it could have done with an index for finding specific pubs, however, those are minor faults in what is otherwise an informative and interesting read.
Would I buy a copy? If I was only interested in the quality of the real ale then I most probably would not. However, if I was a regular visitor to, or inhabitant of, Sussex and wanted to compliment my other guides and learn some history of the area and inns I visit then I would certainly buy Old Sussex Inns.
Stephen Wallace
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Also by Donald Stuart:
London's Historic Inns and Taverns
Published by Breedon Books
April 2004 • £9.99 • PB • 192pp
210 x 147mm • 100 illus.
[ISBN 1 85983 398 5]
