This was all brand new to me, a visit to an area that I had never been to before as we headed down to the Sussex Riviera in search of some good beer and a win at football. Read on to find out how the trip unfolded....
I had maybe been to Sussex once before. I have vague memories of once catching a ferry back from Dieppe in Northern France to the small port of Newhaven but not much else, so I assume we didn't linger. And so, in terms of exploring the county, this visit was definitely the first proper visit I had made here. And, no surprises here, the rationale behind the trip was the first-ever visit by FC Halifax Town to the Sussex Community Transport Stadium, aka the home of Worthing FC, who had been promoted as champions from National League South at the end of last season.
Three of us had travelled down from the north via the Grand Central on Friday morning, arriving in London after lunch. We caught the tube to Victoria, then another one for one stop to St James for a pint. A short walk away we came to the Buckingham Arms, one of the select group of 5 pubs that have been in every edition of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide, the 2027 version of which having been officially released the day before. A cracking pub, a single room with dark wood, an attractive bar, and a pleasant atmosphere. Another plus was that the normal journey to the centre of the earth to the toilets in central London pubs was not needed here. The beer too, our Mysteries of the Galaxy (the hop that is) from Twickenham Brewery was very good (Rating: 7.5/10), making it a strong start to the trip.
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| The Buckingham Arms, great beer and pub with characters |
We ended up walking back towards Victoria in warm sunshine, calling at a Fullers pub called the Jugged Hare on the way. This was a smart pub which was quite busy. There was a smart interior in a building that doesn't look much like a pub, but we took our beers outside to a seated area out the back that was most notable for its attractive floral display. The beer was OK (6/10), but overall I suspect that unlike the Buckingham Arms, this is not a pub that will live long in the memory.
From there, it was then less than 10 minutes walk to Victoria from where our train to Worthing departed. The journey should have taken an hour and twenty five minutes but speed restrictions meant it was nearly two hours. Still, once we got past Gatwick we passed through some lovely countryside before the line hit the coast at Hove. From there it threaded its way along the coast through Shoreham-on-Sea, Portslade, Lancing, and then to Worthing, with stops like West Worthing, Dunnington-on-Sea, Goring-on-Sea, Angmering, and possibly Walmington-on-Sea, and Little Dunny-on-the-Wold to follow. It made me think of the line that runs along the Algarve coast in Portugal, although there were no sardines or bottles of Sagres to be seen.
We were staying at the Travelodge in Worthing which is situated in a great location on the seafront overlooking the resort's shingly beach. It had, though, seen better days, and with uncomfortable beds, a lack of sockets, and a sloping floor in the bathroom, it was in need of a serious update. We were overlooking the sea though, although the windows were coated with grime from the traffic that seemed to pass relentlessly along Marine Parade.
We headed out for some beers once we'd got checked in. About 10 minutes walk away just back from the seafront we arrived at Anchored in Worthing, a micropub which was the first-ever in Sussex and is now in its second location in the town having moved from a place a few streets away next to the cafe where we ended up having breakfast each day. It was a pleasant L-shaped bar with a few tables outside as well, which were all occupied in this darkening but still balmy evening. The bar had a nice atmosphere and a lot of thirsty customers, so the guy who ran it was regularly disappearing off to the cellar to bring beer back straight from the barrel. There were three beers on cask, and we all tried the first beer on the board from local brewer Downlands. This was Revival a 4.8% American Pale Ale, which was most enjoyable (7/10). We also tried the Fugg Life from Hastings-based Brewing Brothers which was a 4.1% session bitter which was pleasant without being anything special (6/10). A decent place which is well worth a visit.
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| Anchored in Worthing |
We only went to one more pub this evening and one which has to be one of the best pubs in Worthing. Around 15 minutes walk away we came to the Selden Arms, a Good Beer Guide regular which dates back to the 19th century. There were 5 beers available on handpump, which came from across the country with only Downlands from the local boys on the bar. We could have gone for Abbeydale, Castle Rock, or Burton Bridge, but instead we plumped for one from Scotland, a 4.8% NZ Pale from Dalkeith's Otherworld Brewing called River Horse. The beer had plenty of flavour, and so we stayed around for a second pint (Rating: 7/10). This was a great little traditional pub with friendly staff and a great atmosphere. We were getting hungry by now, and so we finished our drinks and headed off for a curry, which was pretty decent.
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| Selden Arms |
The following morning we woke to bright sunshine. It was a stunningly beautiful morning, with warm sunshine tempered by a light wind, blue skies, a sparkling aquamarine sea, and incredible light. We breakfasted at a small cafe just off the sea front and then went for a walk on the town's pier and promenade where the views were stunning. Plenty of people were walking, jogging, exercising their dogs, and kids, and on a day like this it was easy to see the benefit the location brings to Worthing's population of 113,000, who also have the slopes of the South Downs a little inland. The town lies 11 miles to the west of Brighton and 18 miles to the east of Chichester. Aside from the tourist trade, the town's economy is dominated by the service industry, particularly financial services, with major employers including HM Revenue & Customs. It has a thriving cultural scene with a couple of orchestras, who will no doubt source some of their instruments from UK's largest manufacturer of professional standard oboes who are based in the town. Rock band Royal Blood hail from the town, whilst Billy Idol went to school here. Oscar Wilde wrote The Importance of being Earnest here. Other people who have lived in the town include actor Laurence Olivier and footballer Peter Bonetti.
With the clock moving on towards midday, we got an Uber to take us to West Worthing where there were a couple of listings in the Good Beer Guide. This was more of a suburban area with shops and chimney pots and by default therefore a suitable location for micropubs. And there were two in the immediate vicinity. We saw the Foresters as we alighted from the taxi, but it was the other one we went to first, after a wait at the level crossing beside the station.
The train passed, the gates lifted, and from there it was a short walk to the Green Man Ale and Cider House which is based in a former street corner cafe, and was the third micropub to open in Worthing back in 2016. This is a small one-roomer with no bar and several free-standing high tables and stools, with the beer served straight from the barrels that are kept in a temperature-controlled room in the corner. The beers are listed on a board at the side of the door into the cellar, and when you order the friendly guy who runs it will disappear to the barrels and return with a pint and a smile and ask for your cash, with cards not accepted,
There were five beers on, all from local breweries. First up I went for a pint of Parody, a 4.5% well-balanced session IPA brewed with English and American hops from Firebird who are based in the village of Rudgwick near Horsham and close to the border between West Sussex and Surrey. It was a very good pint with which to start the day (7.5/10). There was a lovely, calm atmosphere with conversation flowing and a great vantage point for people watching on the street outside. So we stayed for a second pint, and this time I joined the boys in a collab between Downlands and Moon breweries. It was a very refreshing pale ale generously hopped with Citra and with an ABV of 4.2% (Rating: 7.5/10). A great little micro that is well worth seeking out.
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| Green Man Ale & Cider House |
We then walked back up to the level crossing, had to wait for another train to pass by, and then we made our way over to the Foresters. This is the newest micropub in Worthing, with lots of wood in the pub fixtures and fittings reflecting the owner's previous occupation as a forester. This also gives it something of a rustic look. Like the Green Man, it sells its beers straight from the barrel which are kept in a cold room to the side of the bar. It had 5 beers on cask to chose from along with 8 keg beers, with a further selection kept in a fridge. From the options available I went for a pint of London Best, a 3.9% easy drinking bitter (7/10). Unlike the Green Man, the Foresters is card only for transactions. It extends into another room to the rear of the bar which was where we enjoyed our beers, and intriguingly there was some brewing kit in a further room beyond that but I could find nothing online to suggest anything has been brewed here. The Foresters was another decent place and and worth popping in if you are in the vicinity.
We left the Foresters, had another wait at the level crossing as we needed to cross back over the line to get to our third pub of the afternoon. We turned right opposite the Green Man and followed the road through a predominantly residential area for about 15 minutes, the floodlights of Worthing FC away to the left as we reached the latter part of our walk. We arrived at a main road, crossed over, and came to the Brooksteed, which was the second micropub in the town when it opened in 2014. The pub was busy, with a lot of people stood outside in the sunshine with their pints, with several Town fans amongst them. We headed inside which was also busy. The bar is right as you go in, creating a natural bottleneck which led to one of the ladies shouting to those waiting for a drink to form a queue. I went for a pint of Liquid Gold from Goldmark who are based in Arundel. This was a 4% golden beer brewed with English malt and hops, quite refreshing with citrus flavours on the palate. However, it was served in a plastic glass so loses a point (Rating: 6/10). The Brooksteed was my least favourite of the three places we went to before the match, but to be fair it was also the busiest and difficult to properly assess.
It soon came round to make our way to the Sussex Community Transport Stadium, the home of Worthing FC, which was about 5 minutes walk away. We got in quickly enough and we were in a tidy ground with a couple of stands down the side. Worthing might be playing their first-ever season at National League level but they are a well-established club and have been at this ground since 1903, although it is highly unlikely the artificial pitch goes back that far. Considering the distance, there was a decent following from Town and there were plenty of familiar faces in the away section of the ground. The game duly kicked off and within minutes Town were a goal down, although they did get one back a few minutes later. Despite the scores remaining level for most of the rest of the first half, the home side were on top with Town were playing too far back, giving the ball away too readily, and lacking any cohesion going forward, and so when Worthing scored a second goal just before half time it came as no surprise. And as the second half progressed it became clear that Town were not going to be able to salvage a point, and it finished Worthing 2, FC Halifax Town 1. What was there to take away from the game? Well it been good to watch it in a pleasant sunshine, the burger I had was the best food I'd had at a football ground since last season's visit to Scunthorpe, and it was a friendly little club. For Town, it was yet another away defeat in what is still the early part of the season.
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| Action from the Sussex Community Transport Stadium |
After the game I walked out of the ground towards Worthing railway station, around 10 minutes away away but extended by the inevitable delay at the level crossing which seems to be a normal part of everyday life in this parts. Despite the result, it had been a really good first visit to this part of the world, with some good beer, good pubs, and great weather. Join me next time when we visit another place in Sussex and do a final wrap of our time in sunny Worthing....
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