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The Crowborough Cross (JD Wetherspoon), Crowborough
Crowborough
TN6 1AS
Pub Type
J D WetherspoonReviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
David Walton left this review about The Crowborough Cross (JD Wetherspoon)
Visited 14/02/26
Reasonable cask offering of Pitchside Pale from Dorking Brewery, Adnams Broadside, Dark Conspiracy from Gadd's plus regulars of GK IPA, Doom Bar and Abbot. Typical JDW keg offering of Leffe Blonde, Shipyard pale ale, Stella, Angelo Poretti, Corona, Budweiser, Guinness, original and dark fruits SB, Coors, K1664, Bud Light, Weston’s Stowford Press cider, Carling, Carlsberg, Worthington Creamflow, plus the craft options of BD Punk IPA, Easy IPA from Seven Brothers and Sumo from Mad Squirrel.
First visit for me to this JDW that we quite regularly pass on our way to Tunbridge Wells. It is accessed via a few steps up from the pavement on a busy road junction. The bar counter with a tile skirt is along the left-hand wall down the longer part of the venue to the right-hand side of the entrance with a boarded section opposite the bar counter housing a mix of regular and tall tables with windows looking out onto the beer garden at the side of the venue, which was hideously astroturfed, and housed regular picnic type benches. The rear beyond the end of the bar counter is carpeted with regular tables and chairs occupied by Saturday lunchtime diners on my visit. There are some fabric banquettes in the front bay windows with a large fire grate in the front right-hand corner with some tall tables just inside the door that provided a bit of peace in a venue with a lot of noise on my visit with plenty of families enjoying the cheap weekend breakfast / brunch offering. In the front left-hand corner, there are a couple of steps down to an additional bare boarded seating area with regular tables and chairs and a couple of steps up to a carpeted seating area also with regular tables and chairs. A carpeted corridor from the front left-hand corner beyond those stairs to the rear left-hand corner has a sequence of booth tables with a drinking ledge opposite. Not the worst JDW I have been to but not on my list for a revisit either.
On 15th February 2026
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1349 recommendations about 1332 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Strongers . left this review about The Crowborough Cross (JD Wetherspoon)
The Crowborough Cross is L-shaped with seating across the front of the pub and a long stainless steel topped bar counter up the right that faces seating that runs up the left to some open plan seating at the rear that is faced by a large kitchen serving hatch. There was a strong curry smell during my recent early evening visit, I thought that JDW had stopped the Thursday Curry Club. The counter supports two duplicated banks of six hand pumps that were drawing the usual suspects plus Butcombe’s Chris Moose, Bradfield Farmers Belgian Blue and Cellar Head’s Flapjack. The service was OK, but I didn’t rate this Spoons.
On 30th December 2023
- rating: 5
[User has posted 6560 recommendations about 6522 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Crowborough Cross (JD Wetherspoon)
A local landmark pub on the main A26 crossroads, originally a coaching inn but much extended and altered inside when it was given the 'spoons treatment. Now features two more seating / dining areas up and down half-flights of stairs from the main bar / kitchen area. The impressive old front door also features a short flight of steps but there is level access available round the side. Dismal selection from the two banks of six handpumps: just the obligatory trio of Ruddles (£1.29), Doom Bar and Abbot, plus Black Dragon cider.
On 10th October 2020
- rating: 6
[User has posted 9063 recommendations about 9063 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Crowborough Cross
According to my old Sussex beer guide this was a Bass Charrington pub that catered for the younger residents of Crowborough (I didn't see ANY on my visit) by holding discos. As far as I can sew this is the only original pub in the centre of town. Of course the fact that it's central doesn't mean it's handy for the station as the Victorians were the original NIMBYS. Crowborough rail station is in Jarvis Brook and it's either a full mile and a half walk here (uphill of course!) or do what I did and rely on a rubbish bus service which should have been there just after I arrived but for which I had to wait over half an hour.
JDW opened it in January this year. It is apparently a listed building and I thought they had done quite a respectful conversion with one notable exception which I will come to later.
Inside there is a central bar with areas surrounding it. There is a mixture of wood laminate floors, tiles and carpets. As it's always been a pub there is plenty of daylight.
The bar has two sets of six hand pumps which I thought had an average selection of beers. These were the two GK beers doubled up then Hogs Back Hopping Hog IPA & Long Man Blond available soon. With Doom Bore and London Pride both being on this left Hogs Back HBB, Wadworth's International brew Golden Perch, Long Man Session IPA or Wood's Chestnut Mild. I went for the Golden Perch (£2.49) which wasn't in that great condition and is on the expensive side for a Spoons. The punters seemed to be mainly older folk eating with no obvious sign of a daytime brigade contingent until I arrived.
What really annoyed me about this place was that it has a superb garden and what have JDW done? They have removed the grass and replaced it with astro turf!
I suspected they were doing this when I visited their Wednesbury pub back in March but that garden wasn't a patch on this one. There are few JDWs with gardens that aren't just a boring paved patio area so if this is their official policy then I think it's absolutely disgraceful.
The poor beer quality and astro turf mean this one gets a low mark.
On 27th June 2015
- rating: 4
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]