The Gildredge, Eastbourne

The Gildredge is a formulaic and quite uninspiring modern pub opposite the Railway station that doesn’t really offer the most enticing first sight to visitors to the town. The exterior has a curved frontage but is quite drab and hardly a great advert for post war architecture. Internally, the pub is a single lengthy room with bare floors, the bar down one side and a raised seated area opposite partly divided into sections. At one end is a pool table and dartboard plus multiple TV screens are dotted around aimed at the sports fraternity. The pub name is spelt out between the window panes in case you forget where you are. The décor is quite bland and modern with a few signed football shirts and memorabilia mounted on the ceilings being the only aspects of interest. For a Saturday night the place was quite empty with the pool area being the main source of interest and a jukebox throwing up some interesting ‘toons that lean towards Irish Bar entertainment. The beers are somewhat lacking with the standard kegs and just one ale, a hardly adventurous Harveys Best which was reasonable priced (£3.10) and, to be fair, decent enough quality. The fact that beer were served in plastic glasses suggest that the ambience isn’t always of the genteel and mature nature that the town is generally noted for. At best it is a place to kill 15 minutes before a train (as I did) or a stop for pub completists although the ‘Spoons opposite is far superior which is perhaps the most damning aspect.

Being so close to Eastbourne Train Station means that this pub has a more transient crowd than others in the area. I’ve been in a couple of times and found the staff to be friendly and the Guinness to be good. Sussex Best was the ale option on my most recent visit and there was a standard draught selection. There are often people of an older generation taking advantage of the cheap food, but I’ve never eaten here so cannot comment on the quality. A pool table and a dartboard can be found in here and the sports are shown on the TV via Sky Sports. There is some outside seating for those who want to escape the sport or lap up the south coast sunshine, but it is on the high street next to a very busy junction. This is an average pub for the area.

Average size pub with only one real ale on which on my visit was Harvey's bitter.Right opposite the railway station so handy if you are waiting for a train.