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Date for PuG crawl in Cambridge. with Pangolin
on the Pub Forum
Image posted by paulof horsham
Submitted on Sunday, 18th October 2020
With picture contributions to 5861 other pubs
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Detail Pages
The Red Lion, Eastbourne
Willingdon
Postal town: Eastbourne
BN20 9HQ
Served areas
Reviews of The Red Lion (Average Rating: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Red Lion
The Red Lion is situated on a bit of a bank, with the Sussex Downs rising up from the rear of the pub. There is a front bar with a TV at the far left end. The room also features an old map of Sussex pubs and a large fish in a cabinet.
Stairs lead to a dining room upstairs. Although this was not in use, with diners either requested or choosing to eat in the main bar. A garden area could be found at the very rear.
Being a Hardy & Hanson's pub, Badger Tanglefoot & Fursty Ferret are regular beers. The seasonal beer was Badger Rust & Reverie. Outland IPA & Stout were on keg. The cider was Thatcher's Gold.
Various events were being promoted. A tropical party offered revellers a free punch (hopefully the spirit variety) and live music and there was also a Father's Day event planned.
The Red Lion feels a world away from the British Queen a bit further down the hill in Lower Willingdon. It has a much more relaxed feel to it and my Rust & Reverie was enjoyable. Both pubs have their merits and are worth doing if in the area.
On 13th May 2025
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3111 recommendations about 3109 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about The Red Lion
The George Orwell connection has already been mentioned, but it’s perhaps worth adding that he included reference to this pub in Animal Farm because he frequented it regularly when he was staying in a nearby hotel while writing said book in 1944.
This is an attractive looking pub with a red brick and brewer’s Tudor exterior. It dominates this stretch of Wish Hill. I thought the interior was very comfortable with none of those pub-blighting tall tables and stools nor any sofas unnecessarily taking up too much space. The windows were leaded small panes, and there was a fireplace at each end of the room, neither of which was alight on my Boxing Day visit. There were some paintings decorating the walls at the right of the room where we sat, whereas the other end had an ancient map of this part of the world, a framed piece about the Orwell connection, and the inevitable TV on the wall in the corner showing the football scores, albeit muted. Apparently there’s a function room upstairs, but I didn’t venture there. All the tables had a bunch of (helium filled) ballons attached to them – I suppose a Christmas attraction for the kids?
There were three Hall & Woodhouse ales on – Tanglefoot, Badger Best and the seasonal Pickled Partridge. I had the latter, which was excellent. I didn’t feel that the prices were expensive, as mentioned by others (although drinking in London may have bludgeoned my long-suffering wallet into insensitivity by now!), with two pints (Badger and Partridge) and two soft drinks costing £8. But the food prices wouldn’t have been out of place in London, with, e.g., the Sunday roast at £8.95 and a ham & cheese wrap at £7.50. We considered the service to have been friendly and welcoming, and the furnishings and the pub in general to be comfortable. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in this neck of the woods.
On 28th December 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Red Lion
A very attractive Hall & Woodhouse pub which commands some nice views of the local countryside and is mentioned in George Orwell’s Animal Farm. The immaculate turn-of-the-century exterior leads to an interior that is neat and retains a certain air of 1930’s period charm, with dark wood panelling and wall-to-wall carpeting. Despite being in the 2011 Good Beer Guide, there were only two Badger ales, Tanglefoot and Sussex. My Tanglefoot was expensive in the extreme and the pint was serviceable, rather than being a spot-hitter. Ho-hum. The welcome from behind the bar was very friendly which at least compensated for my back pocket feeling considerably lighter. The pub has two areas set up for food and a well-maintained grass garden (heavily sloped) at the rear which made for a pleasant place to sup our ales in the mid-afternoon sunshine.
Overall I thought this place was fairly perfunctory despite the many undoubted physical attributes and I wouldn’t feel the immediate need to revisit specially unless there was either more ale or a cheaper rendition of the two available.
On 23rd August 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5589 recommendations about 5570 pubs]
View more reviews of The Red Lion (4)
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- Official site of The Red Lion - theredlion-willingdon.co.uk
- CAMRA WhatPub :: The Red Lion - whatpub.com
Polegate, 1.87 miles, 36 min walk (show)
Eastbourne, 2.63 miles, 50 min walk (show)
Pub Details
Pub details supplied by members of this site to the best of their knowledge. Please check with pub directly before making a special trip.
- Accommodation : No last updated 13 May 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Bar Billiards : No last updated 13 May 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Beer Festivals : No last updated 13 May 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Beer Garden : Yes last updated 12 January 2011 by hondo .
- CAMRA Discount : No last updated 13 May 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Car Park : Yes last updated 13 May 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Child Friendly : Yes last updated 18 October 2020 by paulof horsham
- Darts : No last updated 13 May 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Dog Friendly : Yes last updated 18 October 2020 by paulof horsham
- Function Room : Yes - From review - last updated 28 December 2011 by Dave McNally
- Hot Food : Yes last updated 29 July 2013 by Dave McNally
- Jukebox : No last updated 13 May 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Karaoke : No last updated 13 May 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Live Music : Yes last updated 13 May 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Live TV Sports : No last updated 13 May 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Micropub : No last updated 18 October 2020 by paulof horsham
- Pinball : No last updated 13 May 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Pool Table : No last updated 13 May 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Quiz Night : No last updated 13 May 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Real Ale : Yes last updated 12 January 2011 by hondo .
- Real Cider : No last updated 13 May 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- Wheelchair Access : No last updated 13 May 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
- WiFi : Yes last updated 13 May 2025 by Blue Scrumpy
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