![](\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEgmdJKrVITv1aRBpMUF7PmT3rYEvekr32DeD3CrbtCHMu1IyPbTwx6nZ0I0qhwQSSxVuJBfylIFYqUp-p_BUfUEL80_ydrWaiPWnKOQdADfhh7NZ8NhujjrSfR3VZ24h4GCfSyMHyD882Bi-pnvf1mwYRKY9XQlh33ZlU-iXC8wVO4YRvkiJ020QOfvd4Q\/s3746\/John%20Harvey%20Ext.jpg\")
<\/a><\/div>\nAfter a couple of introductory posts, it’s time to dive into I opted for the room on the right, which houses the main The John Harvey Tavern<\/b> provided an excellent venue for the Moving further along Cliffe High Street,<\/b> takes the thirsty I wasn’t quite as impressed though with the beer she Next, I set out in search of a pub I knew vaguely about, Unfortunately, the pub was closed, boarded up and looking a I took a couple of pictures and walked back up to the castle This arrangement lasted until 1986,<\/b> when Beards <\/b>pubs Back to the pub, and last Friday<\/b> the Lewes Arms<\/b> was serving beers from Fuller’s, St. Austell,<\/b> and Gale\u2019s.<\/b> When I arrived, the pub was quiet,
\nthe heart of my recent trip to Lewes <\/b>and bring you the pub news that I know
\nyou\u2019ve all been waiting for. Following my al fresco, AI-approved<\/b>, pasty and
\ncoffee lunch, I set off along Cliffe High Street,<\/b> crossing the ornate bridge
\nover the river Ouse,<\/b> with the iconic view of Harvey’s Brewery<\/b> to my left. I
\nthen turned directly opposite into the narrow road leading to the John Harvey
\nTavern,<\/b> a charming establishment that has mellowed beautifully over the years.
\nAlthough a relatively new addition to the Harvey\u2019s<\/b> tied estate, the pub has
\nmatured into a thriving two-bar establishment housed in a building faced with
\nlocal flints.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nbar, whereas the room opposite is more of an overspill area, that is handy for
\ndiners. There is also a large upstairs room, a fact I recall from a
\npresentation evening I attended a couple of decades ago. That was when Mrs.
\nPBT\u2019s<\/b> and I had our own off-licence in Tonbridge<\/b> and had an account with
\nHarvey’s<\/b>. We regularly bought draft and bottled beers, as well as a range of
\ninteresting wines, which is what led to the invitation. You can read the story
\nof that evening here, but spoiler alert most of it passed in an alcoholic haze,
\nlargely due to a surfeit of vintage port.<\/p>\n
\npresentation and the drinks, and whilst I\u2019ve made several return visits since,
\nstepping inside the pub is a guaranteed to bring a smile to my face, as I
\nrecall that rather boozy evening. The Tavern<\/b> is always a pleasant place to be,
\ngiven its tucked away location close to the river and virtually opposite the
\nbrewery yard. Several Harvey\u2019s <\/b>beers were on tap that day, as you can see from
\nthe photo, but my tipple of choice was Lewes Castle Brown Ale,<\/b> a beer not often
\nseen in cask form but tasty and enjoyable.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nvisitor to the Gardener’s Arms<\/b>, a small, but thriving pub that has long been
\nregarded as Lewes’s<\/b> premier, independent ale house. The Gardener\u2019s <\/b>consists of
\ntwo, quite basic rooms – a front bar and a back bar with a serving area in the
\nmiddle. Serving up to four different ever-changing cask ales, it attracts many
\nlocal characters. During my relatively short stay at the bar, I engaged with a
\ncouple of local wags, plus a barmaid who clearly knew both her beers, as well
\nas keeping customers in order.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nrecommended, as a substitute for the Burning Sky, Plateau,<\/b> advertised on the
\nchalkboard outside. The latter unfortunately, had just ran out, and the 4.0%
\nHip-Hop from Langham Brewery,<\/b> was far too citrusy for my liking. I’m not very
\nfamiliar with Langham beers, and I\u2019m not even sure where the place is. One
\nlocal claimed that it\u2019s near Chichester, <\/b>but regardless of its origin, it
\nwasn\u2019t the beer for me. Never mind, you win some, you lose some, and the
\natmosphere and banter in the Gardener\u2019s<\/b> more than made up for a beer that I
\nstruggled to enjoy.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nboth in name and location, but had never visited. Crossing the road,\u00a0I
\nwalked back up the steep School Hill,<\/b> which was enough to get my heart pounding
\nand legs aching. At the top, I turned right into Fisher Street,<\/b> passed a
\nnow-closed pub, whose name escapes me, located near the War Memorial.<\/b> I
\nremember visiting it once on November 5th<\/sup><\/b> and actually getting
\nserved\u2014not always easy if you weren\u2019t a member of a local bonfire society. The
\npub I was looking for was the Elephant and Castle,<\/b> and the vague idea I had of
\nits location, on the northern flank of the imposing Lewes Castle <\/b>mound, turned
\nout to be correct. <\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nbit sorry for itself. I’m not sure why it closed, or when it ceased training,
\nbut looking at the condition of the building, I would say the closure took
\nplace quite recently. According to the Harvey\u2019s website,<\/b> the Elephant &
\nCastle <\/b>belongs to the brewery, and is described as a traditional Lewes<\/b> pub,
\nthat was built in 1838.<\/b>\u00a0 <\/span>Selling four\u00a0cask ales alongside a number of
\ncraft beers, and a Good Beer Guide<\/b> pub for 15 years<\/b>. Home of Commercial Square
\nBonfire Society,<\/b> with good, home cooked food served daily, plus the best pub
\nfunction room in Lewes.<\/b> So why is the place closed? Answers please, on a
\npostcard. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nmound, then down again to visit a classic Lewes <\/b>pub and one of my favourites,
\nin the town. I\u2019m talking about the Lewes Arms<\/b>, an attractive brick-built pub
\nwith a prominent rounded corner, close to the former Beards Brewery<\/b> in Star
\nLane<\/b>.\u00a0 <\/span>A quick side step before we
\nmove onto the Lewes Arms. Beards<\/b> were a company that had opted out of brewing
\nin 1958,<\/b> primarily because their cramped, town-centre brewery, was suffering
\nfrom a lack of space and, more seriously, a yeast infection. Beards<\/b> felt that by pooling resources with Harvey\u2019s,<\/b>
\nthe future of both companies would be assured. Harvey\u2019s<\/b> would benefit from the
\nincreased capacity, whilst Beards<\/b> would not have the bother of having to brew
\nthe beer themselves.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\n<\/b>became free to choose from a wide range of different cask ales supplied by
\nthe company\u2019s wholesaling division. This side of the business was later sold
\noff; becoming the well-known wholesaling company The Beer Seller. <\/b>In the
\nsummer of 1998, Beard & Co<\/b> agreed the sale of their entire tied
\nestate to Greene King,<\/b> and the company to all intents and purposes
\nceased to exist. It was rumoured that Harvey\u2019s<\/b> were somewhat put out
\nby this deal, as not only did they lose their supply contract with Beards<\/b>, but
\nthey also lost the chance to buy the company\u2019s pubs. Harvey\u2019s,<\/b> had been under
\nthe impression they would get \u201cfirst refusal\u201d<\/i><\/b> on the Beards
\nestate, <\/b>should it ever come up for sale, although Harvey\u2019s<\/b> have never
\nopenly admitted this. The Beards<\/b> brewery buildings still stand, although they
\nhave now been converted into an arts centre alongside spaces for a number of
\nsmall businesses.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nwith just a handful of middle-aged drinkers chatting in the front bar, passing
\nthe time of day and sharing the banter. I settled in the rear bar, which was a
\nnice cosy and comfortable space, albeit with a view through the glass, into the
\nfront bar.\u00a0 <\/span>I stayed for a pint of
\nSeafarers, which was in good condition, before making my way past the sprawling
\nBeards<\/b> complex and heading back down to High Street. <\/b>It was then on to the
\nstation and the train home, but not before one final pint. You might recall
\nfrom my previous post, that the bus journey down to Lewes,<\/b> was something of a
\ndrag – not quite a complete nightmare, but it felt as though it went on
\nforever. The train, which despite involving changing at either St. Leonards <\/b>or
\nGatwick,<\/b> was the quickest and most comfortable way back to Tonbridge.<\/b> Unlike the
\nbus, I would have to buy a ticket, but with a third off the price, due to my “Old Git\u2019s”<\/i> Railcard,<\/b> the faster journey would be worth every penny.<\/p>\n