Pub Friday – Robertsbridge & Salehurst Pt. 1

Welcome to the long overdue next installment of Pub Friday where, with Mrs PBT’s blessing I head off into the countryside of Kent, East Sussex and occasionally posh Surrey as well, in search of a few pubs gems to satisfy my need for “proper” pubs or, better still find somewhere new that I haven’t visited before. Pub Friday also includes re-visiting the odd few pubs I remember from my mis-spent youth, that I haven’t visited in decades, and are still trading, as sadly many of them have fallen by the wayside.

Friday was actually a return visit to the pleasant, and quite large, Sussex village of Robertsbridge, that also included a detour along a quiet rural lane, to a classic rural pub that I visited, for the first and only time, back in 2017. Does this fall into the definition of what Americans would call a “side-trip?” Rather than making use of my usual free, old-git’s bus pass, this time I took the train. Reasons, a relatively fast, direct and frequent rail service from Tonbridge, and I still obtained discounted travel using my “Senior Railcard.”

As I mentioned a short while ago, this was a return visit, and whilst there had been a small number of changes, both village and hamlet were as they were eight years ago. My departure from Tonbridge was an hour later than intended, thanks to me not setting the alarm clock, although if I’d surfaced just 20 minutes earlier, I would have caught the 10:31 train, rather than the 11:31. The earlier service would have brought me to Robertsbridge just after 11am, which would have allowed ample time for a mooch around the village, before making the 30 minute or so walk out to Salehurst. Never mind, I overslept, and I don’t do rushing at my age. The annoying thing is there is a semi-fast train that runs on the hour, but unfortunately, Robertsbridge isn’t one of the stops on that service.

The rail journey, through the Weald, is always a pleasant one, and at this time of year, doubly so. As we passed through the various stations on the route, I reflected on some of the pubs we have lost, over the past decades. The Rock Robin, just outside Wadhurst station, now replaced by a soulless block of apartments, and the Etchingham Arms, just a short hop from Etchingham station. The former pub is still visible from the train, but it must be 20 years or so, since it last welcomed customers.

Robertsbridge too, hasn’t been without its share of closure, and I’m sad to report that the status of the Seven Stars remains the same. This fine old 14^th Century inn was closed, when I first visited the village back in 2016. The pub is owned by Harvey’s, who were reported at the time as having difficulty in finding suitable tenants for the pub. Some have argued that this may be due to the high rent which the brewery were reportedly asking. The Seven Stars is not the first pub Harvey’s have had difficulties with in recent years as the Two Brewers at Hadlow, saw a succession of tenants come and go, and is now listed as long-term closed. This state of affairs isn’t really befitting of a fine old independent family brewery like Harvey’s.

Back to the positives, and the good news is that work on the new Robertsbridge terminus, for the Kent & East Sussex heritage railway, is progressing at speed with the building that will serve the recently installed new platforms, now looking like a station. Robertsbridge to Bodiam Reconnection Project. If and when this stretch of line is re-laid, and the restoration project completed, it will be possible to travel by a heritage train from Robertsbridge via Bodiam to the eastern end of the line at Tenterden. Much work remains before this “missing link” can be fully restored, but sidings and new track has been laid, adjacent to the main-line station, to allow locomotives and rolling stock to transfer onto the heritage railway from the London - Hastings line.

So, with my train arriving at 12:05, I decided to grab a pint first, and push back the walk until later on. I also decided that the Ostrich, which is just across from the station, should wait until last. This meant that a beer at the George would be in order. Until the coming of the railway, the George was the village’s main coaching inn, and today this imposing red tiled fronted building is probably Robertsbridge’s premier pub. It dates from the 18^th century and, as might be expected, has plenty of low beams. There are views from the bar, back down the High Street with the distinctive War Memorial clock tower, erected in 1926, featuring prominently just across the green. 

The bar area occupies the far right of the building, and this is where most of the drinkers were gathered, in front of the large, inglenook fireplace. They seemed disappointed that the fire was unlit and were not impressed by the landlady’s excuse that the pub had run out of logs. She reminded the crowd that temperatures had hit the high teens the week before, but they remained unimpressed. I wasn’t impressed either by the way the locals were blocking access to the bar, and although I was probably the only stranger in the pub, I thought it bad manners on their part.

To be fair, the landlady acknowledged my presence more or less straight away and pulled me through an exemplary pint of Harvey’s Best, but the atmosphere at the George was decidedly cliquey. With the Cheltenham Festival in full swing, racing seemed the main topic of conversation, but as someone with absolutely no interest in the “sport of kings” it wasn’t long before I beat a hasty retreat. I imagine that things are different in the evenings, as the main part of the pub is given over to diners. That said, there was only one couple eating, and they too, seemed to be locals. As an aside, the photo of the fireplace dates back to an earlier visit.

It was time to go, so I headed off through the village in a northerly direction, following the road as it curved downhill. Looking at the numerous attractive old buildings lining this narrow street, it’s hard to imagine now the traffic chaos that must have ensued before the construction of the bypass, when the busy A21 trunk road ran straight through the heart of Robertsbridge. As my route led out of the village, I noticed to the right, the recently laid track that currently terminates at Northbridge Street, but in the other direction runs back to the K&ESR’s new Robertsbridge Junction station, mentioned earlier.

After safely crossing the busy A21 at a set of traffic lights, I headed off in an easterly direction, along a quiet rural lane, towards the tiny village of Salehurst. The imposing church tower of St Mary the Virgin acted as my guide.  It was a pleasant walk, and with the sun starting to break through the clouds, I could feel the warmth of the sun chasing away the mid-March chill. There is gentle ascent into the village, and there, on the right is the quaintly named Salehurst Halt. This unassuming brick-built, part tile-hung Victorian building, takes it name from when there really was a nearby “halt”, back in the days when the original Kent and East Sussex Railway ran along the valley of the river Rother, from Robertsbridge, towards the border with Kent.

I’m going to draw a stop to the post here, and continue next time, as there’s still plenty to report on what was really an excellent day out in rural Sussex.