The Five Bells, Lewes

The Five Bells is a big roadside pub in the middle of nowhere, so there’s plenty of room for a large beer garden, that includes lots of picnic tables, to the right past an old wooden farm vehicle that sits on display. The entrance opens to an uneven red brick walkway that allows access to the left-hand side of the pub where there’s an old and large exposed brick chimney breast with an inglenook around which are various seating areas. The rear feels more geared towards dining and at the very rear is an extension with a piano and some children’s toys, including a huge teddy bear that was sitting on a sofa. The laminate floored bar is found to the right of the entrance where an angled stool lined serving counter across the rear faces a battered old brown sofa with tiny tables and a repurposed barrel table with stools in the front window. To the right a slope climbs to a small, carpeted seating area and a bar billiards table that was covered. Available from the polite barman was a premium keg selection alongside Carlsberg and Kronenbourg. The three hand pumps were drawing Harveys Best and Pells Pale alongside Ringwood Brewery’s Razor Back. The garden is certainly a major draw on a nice sunny day, but the actual pub isn’t somewhere I’d want to stay in for an extended period.

Attractive country pub serving the various small communities that to together make the village of Chailey. The entrance leads to a central corridor, off which to the right can be found the relatively compact bar, with a smart semi-traditional seating / dining area beyond. Various other partly opened-out rooms can be found on the left-hand side. Three cask ales on handpump: Sussex Best and Old Ale from Harvey's plus Hopsteiner from the equally local Long Man Brewery (£5.50).