Ye Olde Stout House, Horsham

Just across the road from the Market Square, this is a fairly compact Hall & Woodhouse pub with a long but quite narrow single room interior. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that the pub previously had at least two separate bars, perhaps more, and the current set-up sees two fairly distinct sections to the front and rear, as bare floorboards give way to a quarry stone floor opposite the bar and then to carpeting in the rear lounge space. The bar is midway down the left-hand wall and has a smart, modern dark wood counter with brass coat hooks, a matching tongue and groove bar back and a high shelf on the canopy above, lined with gin bottles. Some nice wing-back armchairs in the front windows are hemmed in a little by the rare sight of a bar billiards table, whilst on the other side of the room, a nice fireplace acts as a focal point, with its marble hearth and attractive surround topped with a plain mirror. Chair and low stool seating has been provided down the right-hand side of the room, including in the narrower space opposite the bar, but this eventually gives way to the rear lounge with its mix of tables and chairs and several high tables with bar stools. There is plenty of nice dark wood panelling to admire around the pub, much of it adorned with traditional framed paintings and photographs, which add some proper pub feeling to offset the modernisation and internal modifications that have taken place. A side door takes you out to a decent looking patio garden with a decent amount of picnic bench seating and some welcome greenery. On the bar, three Hall & Woodhouse ales were available – Tanglefoot, Badger Best and Fursty Ferret. The latter was in good condition and served up by a genial barman who punctuated his duties by engaging in a long chat with an elderly couple who were venturing out for the first time since lockdown began and were clearly in need of some social interaction. Having spent a significant part of my life living a few miles down the road from the H&W Brewery, I could quite happily spend the rest of it without ever drinking another one of their beers again, but every now and then you find a nice, friendly and welcoming pub like this which makes the odd pint of indistinguishable bitter seem bearable. A pleasant surprise all told.

I visited Ye Old Stout House not long before lunch last Saturday morning to find ten locals propping up the bar. This bar supports five hand pumps that, due to this being a Hall and Woodhouse establishment, were drawing King and Barnes Sussex (x2), Badger’s Leaping legend (x2) and H&W’s Tangle Foot. A standard keg selection was also available from the very amiable governor. The bare boarded front section of the pub houses a bar billiards table and a television that was switched off. I didn’t see any live sport advertised, but there was a radio playing a local station, complete with adverts. The carpeted rear section of the pub continues the traditional décor and adds more seating. A right hand door leads to the side alley where a couple of tables and the smokers could be found. This is a drinker’s pub and as such I enjoyed talking to a couple of locals during my visit on Saturday last week. Next time I am in the area I will probably pop in again, but probably not at 10am when the doors are said to open.

K&B Sussex, Badger, Tanglefoot, needless to say no proper stout (“no call for it”), I don't count guinness. Nice looking bar with sections floored in wood, stone paving, & carpet, upholstered settles around walls, busy book corner (whatever that note means?), ‘cellar' visible behind bar but a missed opprtunity for a decent tap room, wood panelled walls, beamed/yellowed ceiling, striped stools & wood tbls opp bar below tv housed in cabinet, a large games machine – out of context to the décor but mercifully unused on my visit. Radio was too loud but playlist was ok (but talky – what stn is Evans on these days?). Very nice bar billiards table nr entrance with its own suspended lighting/tassled lightshade. Large coffee maker prominent, make of that what you will. I don't mind Badger beers but don't actively seek them out, and H&W houses could be so much better if they allowed guests.