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Chat about:
Beer of the Week (w/e 15th June 2025) with Tris39
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Kings Arms, Crowborough
Rotherfield
Postal town: Crowborough
TN6 3LJ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Kings Arms
One of only two remaining pubs in the village of Rotherfield, this one can be found on a junction and looks a little dilapidated from the outside with quite a number of tiles having fallen off the outside. Inside, it is in a much better maintained condition. There is a bare boarded public bar to the front with a large inglenook fireplace having sofas surrounding it. There is a large coat of arms (reflecting the pub's name) over the fireplace and a couple of fishing rods on the ceiling. The fish theme continues with a number found in cabinets around the room and some fish ornaments too. Either side of the entrance door were some board games and a TV.
A larger room to the rear is carpeted and contains pictures of birds, foxes and a hedgehog. It also has an inglenook fireplace. The rear part of this room appears to be used mainly by diners. Although there weren't too many around on our Wednesday lunchtime visit. There is a piano in the passageway between the two rooms. A large garden to the rear of the pub has some nice views, with the pub sign proclaiming it to be the best beer garden in Sussex.
At the bar, Harvey's Sussex Best is the regular cask beer. Guest beers were Only With Love Yacht Rock & Lakedown Ace Face. A fourth handpull was unclipped. Ciders were Aspall's & Reveller.
We found the staff and other customers to be fairly friendly here. A pub quiz takes place and Sunday roasts also appear to be a future. Whilst we didn't try the other pub in Rotherfield, it is the Kings Arms that can be found in the current Good Beer Guide.
On 12th May 2025
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3111 recommendations about 3109 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Kings Arms
Fine old village pub with a partly tile-hung façade and an impressive old fireplace in the front bar. The extended rear bar is now more of a dining area, but both are furnished and decorated in the expected traditional style. Two Harvey's beers - Sussex and an early appearance of the seasonal Old Ale (£4.20, and in excellent shape) - together with the Project Babylon pale ale from Gun Brewery on the three handpumps.
On 10th October 2020
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8733 recommendations about 8733 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Strongers . left this review about The Kings Arms
I wasn’t sure if the Kings Arms was open when I visited Rotherfield just after lunch on a recent midweek afternoon. There was one car and an empty burger van in the large car park and the pub sign was advertising the next quiz dated November 2011. I couldn’t see any signs of life as I noted the nice views and traffic noise in the rear garden. Around the front of the pub are another couple of picnic tables on the path of the small high street and I must say that I was surprised that the front door opened when I pushed it. I wasn’t surprised to find that I was the only customer and I had to wait a minute or two for the manager to become aware of my presence. Once I was finally seen the welcome was friendly and the Doom Bar ok, but expensive at £3.60 a pint. The other two hand pumps were both sporting Harvey’s Best clips and there is a standard draught selection alongside Amstel. Food is served during lunch periods and early evening and roasts are available between midday and 17:00 on Sundays.
The pub is made up by three sections which includes a restaurant area at the rear. There is a comfortable seating area in the centre of the pub with access to the bar and a log fire that was crackling away. The front area of the pub is more like a public bar with a pool table and a dartboard. The plasma screen on the window ledge was off and I didn’t see any sports advertised, although there was a fixture list on the wall for the resident woman’s dart team. A projector screen was rolled up on the wall, but the projection unit was missing from the ceiling. There was some background music playing with no signs of any modern chart dross.
I’d have no problem returning here for another pint if I found myself back in this pleasant village.
On 11th January 2012
- rating: 7
[User has posted 6133 recommendations about 6099 pubs]