The Anchor Inn dates back to the 15th century and can be found in the village of Hartfield, East Sussex , on the northern edge of the Ashdown Forest (the setting for AA Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh books). Used as a retreat from London. At the front is a verandah with seating for warm summer evenings. Anchor Inn - Restaurant, Bar and Bed & Breakfast
The restaurant menu is varied, including venison, seafoodand fillet of beef. The inn also provides bed and breakfast accommodation with two en-suite bedrooms for those wishing to stay the night. There is ample car parking for customers. Families are welcome. Dogs allowed.
The front bar has heavy beams, maps and country pictures on the walls, and a woodburning stove. The inn is a freehouse, and for those who enjoy good ale, there is well kept Adnams, Bass, Flowers IPA, and Harveys Best on handpump, in addition to guest beers. The bar menu has a wide range of food from sandwiches and Ploughman's to tasty, hot, home-cooked meals. There is a large garden, with plenty of tables, where bar food is served in the summer months. The restaurant has flagstones, more old beams and a large inglenook fireplace.
Ideal for walkers, cylists or those touring the area, we have two en-suite rooms available, one double and one twin. Both have colour televisions and tea and coffee making facilities. Breakfast is included and evening meals are available in our bar or restuarant. There are also ironing facilities and hairdriers available. Room Rates
Double Occupancy Bed and Breakfast £60 per night
Single Occupancy Bed and Breakfast £35 per night
We offer a good range of real ales kept in our cellar, including Harveys Best Bitter , Adnams and Flowers IPA. In addition there are always different guest beers available to try. For stout drinkers we have Murphy's as well as Guinness. We offer a number of lagers on tap and a large choice of bottled beers. There is wine which is available by the glass or bottle.
Our attractive restaurant has an enormous inglenook fireplace , a stone flagged floor and another bar. It has an extensive and interesting menu (see below). The restaurant can be booked for functions.
Ideal for walkers, cylists or those touring the area, we have two en-suite rooms available, one double and one twin. Both have colour televisions and tea and coffee making facilities. Breakfast is included and evening meals are available in our bar or restuarant. There are also ironing facilities and hairdriers available.
The Anchor Inn has a strange history. For centuries it had been the residence of the privileged classes, but by 1777 and surely earlier it had become the residence of the most underprivileged folk of all - the Paupers. In other words it was a workhouse. It was owned by a charitable trust and run by the Overseers of the Poor. people who could not afford to support themselves financially were lodged here and the expenses for their upkeep were met by a tax levied on the rest of the community.
In 1821 there were no less than 54 inmates of the Workhouse. By 1861, although still a Workhouse, it was being run down as such, and in this year was taken over by William Garrett for the purpose of selling beer. In the census of 1891 the building was still referred to as "The Old Workhouse". It was not until 1891 that the present name appears on a public document. By this time Mary Garrett widow of William Garrett's son was the landlady.
The Anchor Inn is situated in Church Street, Hartfield just off the B2110, and has a large car park available for customers. It is ideally located for those walking, touring or cycling in the area, seeking refreshment in traditional surroundings. The map below shows its location and some of the nearby attractions.
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There is a small room available for private party hire.
The Anchor Inn appears on a map of 1598 when it was Broome Place and the manor house of Broome. The manor goes back much earlier than the map and we can be reasonably sure that the earliest parts of the Anchor Inn date from the 15th Century. In an American museum stands an iron fire-back bearing the date 1586 and historical detective work has shown that it was made especially for this house.