Lewes and back, by bus

It's always a good idea to have a reason for heading off on a bus trip, or a day out by rail somewhere, even if that reason is really rather tentative. My reason for taking the bus down to Lewes last Friday, was to return the pile of empty Harvey’s beer bottles I’d accumulated since our last visit to the Sussex County town. I came across the bottles whilst tidying up our summer house, a couple of months ago, and whilst I could quite easily have driven to Lewes, in order to return them, as Mrs PBT’s and I had done prior to Christmas, making use of my bus pass meant that apart from a few hours of my time, the return trip from Tonbridge would cost me nothing. Also, by not taking the car, I could visit a couple of Lewes pubs and enjoy a few beers, without being a hazard on the road, or indeed putting my driving licence at risk.

But why did I want to return these empty bottles in the first place? The answer is Harvey’s, quite commendably, are one of the very few UK brewers in the country who operate a bottle return scheme, which operates by charging a refundable, 10p deposit on each bottle supplied. So, by returning these bottles and using public transport, I was doing my bit for the environment in two ways. I’d accumulated just under two dozen empty and washed beer bottles, but how to transport them without making too much of a racket, and without straining my back and shoulders into the bargain? Simples really, I placed half the bottles in my rucksack, and then shoved the remainder into a stout shopping bag.

“You want to watch out as they might not let you on the bus,” said Mrs PBT's as I set off to the bus stop. My initial destination was Tunbridge Wells, where I could pick up the No. 29 Brighton and Hove service, which runs half - hourly between the Wells and Brighton. It took me two buses to reach Tunbridge Wells, but this meant I missed the 20-minute walk down from Bailey Towers to the bus stop opposite Tonbridge station.

I arrived in Tunbridge Wells in sufficient time for a precautionary pee stop, although there was not enough time to grab the coffee I was craving. Bus drivers understandably, are not keen for food and drink to be consumed on their buses, and given the empty bottles I was carrying, a cup of coffee would not have been a good idea. Mind you, I was gagging for a caffeine fix by the time we reached Lewes. Given the load I was carrying, I thought it wise to sit on the lower deck of the bus, even though the upper one would always be my first choice. This was more to do with exiting the bus, given the steep stairs down from the upper deck, and the way that buses tend to lurch around when stopping (and accelerating).

The journey to Lewes took 20 minutes longer than it should have done, largely due to road works – that current scourge of any journey involving motor transport, so I heaved a sigh of relief when we finally reached our destination. The bus deposited us at the bottom of the town, and at the foot of the famously steep School Hill. I crossed the road and headed towards Cliff High Street, traversing the River Ouse by the bridge next to Harvey's magnificently brewery, with its adjacent and well-stocked shop.

I returned my bottles which were gratefully received by the staff at the shop, in exchange for the principal sum of £2.20, which went towards three new bottles of Harvey’s beer. The first one was an old favourite Prince of Denmark, a strong and complex dark ale, with an abv of 7.5%, whilst the other two were Southdown Harvest plus Georgian Dragon, a ruby ale named after the mythical beast slain by England’s patron saint.

Afterwards it was time to grab that much needed coffee, something I wanted more than beer, at that moment in time. I wanted to avoid the usual Starbucks and Costa outlets, as I like to support independent retailers wherever possible. I was also feeling rather peckish, but salvation came in the form off a local bakery called Bake Out, situated next to the River Ouse. Whilst queuing up for a flat white, I saw a freshly baked pasty beckoning to me, from a tray at the front of the glass countertop. It proved far too tempting, so after purchasing one of these appealing hot pasties, plus a coffee, I found a convenient bench, on the other side of the road, where I could sit down and enjoy this impromptu lunch.

Something to eat prior to starting on the beer, was definitely a good idea and it seemed like I wasn’t the only person stuffing their face. The pasty I bought was filling and wholesome, and many others had the same idea, as places like Bake Out and other similar outlets, were doing a roaring trade. The bench I was sat on, proved a good spot for watching the world go by, and it was nice just sitting there watching the world go by. Lewes has always had an alternative, and slightly offbeat feel to it, and it seems to attract like-minded people. I have always had a soft spot for the town, and the fact that it's the home to one of the country’s best traditional brewing companies, is one more factor that makes it a “must visit” destination, as far as I'm concerned.

It was now most definitely time for a beer. I had a couple of pubs in mind, the first one of which was an old favourite from the time that I worked in Lewes. The Gardener’s Arms is a slightly quirky offbeat pub of the type I hinted about earlier. It's situated in Cliff High Street just a stone’s throw from Harvey’s Brewery Shop. It’s also genuine free house, offering five constantly changing guest ales, usually sourced from small breweries, from all over the country. Harvey’s seasonal ales and one-off brews often feature, as well.

It must be a decade or so since I last visited, so I made a beeline to the pub, keen to see what beers were on sale. I walked in past the small crowd sat at a table in front of the window, having decided upon the Three Acre Ruby Porter, advertised on the “A” board in front of the pub. Unfortunately, the beer had just sold out, but the helpful girl behind the bar recommended the Rother Valley Blue, instead. It's a porter she told me, and she was right of course, but somehow over the years I've always regarded this pleasant Rother Valley dark beer as something different, although I'm not sure which. I sat at the bar, enjoying the beer, which was dark, full bodied and delicious, whilst soaking up the atmosphere of this classic Lewes pub.

It was time to move on, so I made my way back cross the River Ouse, stopping to take the obligatory photo or two of Harvey’s Brewery. Before heading up the hill, I wanted to check the location of the bus stop for my return journey, as well as the times of the buses. This information is readily available  on the Brighton & South Downs website, but just to make sure, it was the stop outside Waitrose. The pub I had in mind was the classic, Lewes Arms, situated at the top of the town, in the shadow of Lewes castle, but instead of making the steep School Hill, I followed one of the side roads, stopping to take some photos of the interesting buildings I passed on the way.

One particular building that really sparked my interest was the complex that was once home to the Star Lane Brewery of Beard and Co. The company ceased brewing in 1958, after reaching an agreement with their Lewes neighbours, Harvey’s that the latter would brew for them, but they would sell the beers under their own name. Forty years later, in 1998, Beard’s sold their 43 pubs to Greene King. Today the Star Brewery is home to a series of art galleries, and as the door was open, I managed to sneak a quick peep inside, to see if there was anything remaining from its days as a brewery. The plant had obviously been stripped out decades earlier, but an old staircase leading to both the upper and lower levels of the building, gave a clue and also a feel of the days when Beard & Co were producing their beers there. Behind the former brewery complex lies the Lewes Arms, a former Beard’s pub of course, and a real classic in so many ways.

Before venturing inside for a drink, I walked up the steep lane at the side of the pub, towards the castle, which I could see, towering over the town, as I looked out across the pitch of the local bowls club. I paused too, in order to look at the plaque commemorating the Battle of Lewes, which took place in May 1264. The skirmish saw an army of barons, led by Simon De Montfort, defeat a royalist force twice their size under King Henry III on the downs, to the northwest of Lewes. It is claimed that De Montfort’s victory led to the establishment of the first English parliament, which met at Westminster, in January of the following year.

I retraced my footsteps, down to the Lewes Arms, a pub that is as traditional as anyone could wish for, and popular with visitors and locals alike. Fuller's beers are served, alongside Harvey's Best, plus a guest. These are dispensed from a bank of hand-pumps, located in the atmospheric front bar, which has its own door off the corridor. Last Friday, as well as the Harvey’s, there were two Gale's beers on sale, Seafarers and HSB. on sale, I naturally went for the latter, having enjoyed a glass of the same beer, the previous day at the Nelson Arms in Tonbridge.

As with the Gardener’s, the Lewes Arms is another quirky pub that embodies everything I like about  East Sussex's county town. The lively, but well-behaved crowd in the front bar, were probably of a similar age to myself, but the young girl behind the bar kept them in order and had everything under control. She also served me up a first-class pint of HSB. I ended up sitting in the room behind the bar, which is one of three rooms in the pub, which was occupied by a family group and their dog.

I can highly recommend the Lewes Arms to visitors to the town, but two pints was sufficient, bearing in mind the bus journey home. I returned my glass to the bar and made my way back down School Hill to the main road at the bottom. I had about 15 minutes to wait before the bus arrived, and this time I climbed the stairs to the top deck.  This made the return journey far more pleasant, as I’d felt rather hemmed in during the outward journey, and the views across the Sussex countryside were a joy to behold.

Our first stop was the town of Uckfield, after which the road skirts the edge of Ashdown Forest as it makes its way towards Crowborough. We arrived back in Tunbridge Wells sometime around half four, by which time my bladder was rather full. A quick dash to the public toilets in the Royal Victoria Place shopping centre, followed by the bus back to Tonbridge, saw me home in plenty of time for tea. It was a long journey, just to return a couple of bags of empties, but it was good to renew my acquaintance with Lewes, and a couple of its pubs. I shall probably choose somewhere nearer, for my next bus trip, though.