Old Settles, Wooden Floors

Pub Walks in Hastings and St Leonards – Walk 3

A Taste of St Leonards – The St Leonard

At first glance, there is nothing to London Road except a mishmash of shop fronts, infills and traffic and that can often offend those more used to gleaming shopping centres and pedestrianised streets but you must look further into the character of both the shops and the people who belong to London Road.

My wife and I grew up in Nottingham and we both remember similar streets, indeed, my father had a thriving pharmacy on one such street now demolished. Everyone knew my father and so everyone knew me. St Anns Wells Road, Alfred Street and Arkwright Street all provided everything that you needed from sweet shops and cake shops, milliners, butchers and bakers, green grocers and grocers, a Home and Colonial, a Dewhurst’s, book shops and cafes, a pub on every corner and almost as many churches. To me, London Road is the same.

A pint in the CAMRA award winning St Leonard, creaking with atmosphere, old settles, wooden floors and life, helps the musings for ‘Pub Walks in Hastings and St Leonards’ and the forthcoming ‘Pub Walks in 1066 Country’.

The St Leonard is not some country pub but a warm and friendly town pub, refurbished in 2012, (it was formerly known as The Warrior Gate a corruption of the original 1833 name Warhouse Gate, taken from the name of an old lime kiln).

Now its wooden floors, mismatched tables and chairs, local art work and three regularly changing guest beers create a busy urban chic.

There is popcorn served with drinks and a food tasting menu available that includes sausage rolls, scotch eggs, charcuterie plate and pork pies and pizzas can be delivered to your table.

On one visit, I tried Brighton Bier South Coast IPA 5%, St Austell Trelawny 3.8%, Hogs Back TEA 4.2% and a taste of Prehistoric Amber 4.5%. All were well conditioned and well-kept but on the next visit, they are likely to have changed. Another time, I was impressed with the Franklins St Leonard, Franklins Greedy Guvnor as well as the Hogsback T.E.A.- again!

There is always a welcome and despite the restricted hours (Wednesday to Saturday 5pm -11pm and Sunday 3pm – 9pm) it is one to visit, to drink a pint and to sit and think – after all, they say that there is a book in us all! With such restricted opening hours it may be one to note in that black beer stained notebook to return to later.

If it is closed, there is consolation opposite in The Oak Bakery where money can be invested in their wonderful and moreish ‘Portuguese tarts’!

Check out the walk on

Pub Walks in Hastings and St Leonards is available from Hastings Tourist Information and from The Bookkeeper, Kings Road, St Leonards and by mail order from www.1066haroldsway.co.uk

Discover and Explore Walks from History Walks

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Links: CAMRA WhatPub, Hastings Tourist Information, Stagecoach

The Perfect Finish

The Royal and The Secret St Leonards Walking Trail

The railway came to Gensing and the station, designed by William Tress (architect of most of the stations on the line to Tunbridge Wells) was built in 1851, marooned a mile from the seafront.

The station made St Leonards and Hastings accessible by train on a direct line from London and from along the south coast. First class for the wealthy and second and third for everyone else and suddenly St Leonards was on the map.

The coming of the railway heralded the development of both London Road, King’s Road and Warrior Square and the Railway Inn was opened in 1854, first as a beer house and later with a full licence, on the corner of Kings Road and Western Road. There was little else around.

As the town grew and grew, the land around the station developed with a hotel built (1876) on the opposite corner to the Railway Inn. By 1884 it was known as the Royal Hotel with a large and classy saloon bar, a public bar and a ‘snug’ that catered for all classes, but everyone knew their place in the drinking hierarchy.

One can imagine the quiet snug, the spit and sawdust bar and the upmarket saloon of wood panelling, polished floors, glittering chandeliers and maybe a potted palm or two all reminiscent of the large Victorian pubs that still exist in parts of London.  The commercial traveller, his trilby and heavy three-piece suit, his pocket watch and his case of samples, eating lunch, buttons straining and perhaps time for another bottle of beer and a cigar before the train home.

In his place today are suits and open necked shirts, bringing the noise of shared jokes and conversation, grouped by the bar and ladies sat, with a bottle of white wine in a chiller, sharing gossip. It is a meeting pub, a drink straight from the train or from work pub. It is like the bars that I used to visit, straight from work in London, some 45 years ago but without the layers of smoke. I’m glad to see that it is alive and well in St Leonards and that pint of London Pride brings back more memories (Theakston Lightfoot was the alternative) and Pride wins it for me.

I would have liked to have seen the Royal in all its Victorian splendour but, after its recent doldrum years, it has been transformed into a one roomed destination pub. The high ceilings and sense of space are remnants of its former grandeur and although the wood panelling is now deep blue it is the clientele that has changed the most in this mix and match pub – it is now the perfect finish for the Secret St Leonards Walking Trail.

Walks in 1066 Country

http://www.1066haroldsway.co.uk

A Walk around Rye

An Urban Ramble

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Rye, an island citadel once surrounded by water, but the winds and the storms won a great battle and the sea retreated leaving a town marooned inland.

Rye, with its medieval airs and cobbled streets, its history as a Cinque Port, the smugglers and its people, is one of the most picturesque towns in England.

Stir the imagination and explore Rye’s long history of French invasions, smuggled brandy, tea and tobacco and of an infamous churchyard murder.

For more information:

www.1066haroldsway.co.uk

Dreaming

Imagine 1066, the Battle of Hastings and King Harold’s epic journey to his date with destiny.

Imagine being part of King Harold’s army, did it rain, was it dry? Three days of marching, the nights were drawing in, the noise, the fear and a battle to face – a camp at Rochester, a camp at Bodiam and a final climb to Caldbec Hill.

For the 14^th October 1066 is one of the most emotive dates in English history and Harold’s march to the Battle of Hastings is the stuff of legends.

Follow in King Harold’s footsteps, along the probable route to the Battle of Hastings, a walk that starts at Westminster Abbey and finishes at Battle Abbey, East Sussex.

Be part of 1066 Harold’s Way – the start of your adventure.

For more information, visit www.1066haroldsway .co.uk

Pub Walks in 1066 Country

I want to tempt you with some short but exhilarating walks, a wealth of fascinating local history, good pubs and of course, good beer.

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Here is a selection of four Pub walks that encourage you to explore 1066 Country on foot and in the process, discover some tremendous country walks.

I am not claiming they are the best pubs but they are ones that I enjoy, chosen for their location, beer and conviviality and the opportunity to walk, to explore and discover the 1066 Countryside.

All the walks are accessible by public transport, mostly by Stagecoach services, and the occasional train. Leave the car at home and enjoy a pint and let the ‘bus’ take the strain.

In these Four Pub Walks, it is the walk that takes pride of place and that welcome pint in that friendly pub is the reward for all your effort.

Enjoy the experience.

The Ramblers have crowned Hastings Old Town as Britain’s Best Walking Neighbourhood 2018

Pub Walks in 1066 Country is available now from Hastings Tourist Information, Hastings Pier, The Bookkeeper (Kings Road St Leonards) and British Design, British Made and AHA in Battle or direct from History Walks

History Walks – more than just steps on a footpath.

www.1066haroldsway.co.uk 

Rock a Nore to De La Warr

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This is a walk that starts at Rock a Nore, at the easterly extreme of Hastings, and finishes at the De La Warr – that grand art deco pavilion on Bexhill’s promenade.

It is an historic route with much to occupy the imagination.

It is a hop on and hop off kind of walk, do as little or as much as you want but it is not a race. Take your time and enjoy the history with plenty of opportunity to stop for tea, coffee and, if warm enough, ice creams with a Stagecoach bus to take you home.

The Ramblers have crowned Hastings Old Town as

Britain’s Best Walking Neighbourhood 2018

Rock a Nore to De La Warr is available now from Hastings Tourist Information, Hastings Pier and The Bookkeeper, Kings Road St Leonards.

and direct from

History Walks

History Walks – more than just steps on a footpath

http://www.1066haroldsway.co.uk

Your Vote Mattered

Thank you all, the History Walk Facebook page had over 1300 views and

your vote really mattered.  With over 21% of the total vote of 12000,

Hastings Old Town

was today crowned

Britain’s Best Walking Neighbourhood 2018

There are so many fascinating walks in Old Town, Hastings and St Leonards for us all to enjoy, to discover and explore and to imagine. Happy walking.

      

www.1066haroldsway.co.uk 

Ramblers Press Release