The Ash Tree Inn, Battle

A red brick, tile hung pub on a quiet road in the rolling countryside beyond Battle in East Sussex. Outside, some benches in a sun trap, inside, a central bar , with a public bar area to one end, complete with television, and a number of rooms fanning off from the other side. Exposed studwork divides the dining areas, giving a light and airy feel. We sat by the inglenook fireplace-not lit on the warmest Poppy day that I can remember, and admired the brick floor.Being lunchtime on Poppy Day, there was a good number of bemedalled veterans enjoying a drink or meal. Sometimes we are too blasé about the range of beers available:in my book there is nothing wrong with a landlord specialising in one ale, and keeping it exceedingly well. Here , for example, the landlady said there was Harveys, Harveys or Harveys. Being an irritating cove, I asked for …Harveys. I’m a great fan of Harveys Sussex Best Bitter, but it can, due to its incredible popularity in Kent and Sussex, be the victim of its own success. However, it was spot on,reminding me of when as youngsters we would travel miles to sample this nectar. There was an array of fonts and nozzles for those of less traditional tastes. As with most pubs, food is of great importance:we didn’t really want a main meal: the sausage, egg ‘n’chips was a good honest serving. We’d like to have a proper meal here one day, as it’s a good honest pub.