The Sportsman, Arundel

Facebook page of The Sportsman - www.facebook.com

Official site of The Sportsman - thesportsmansussex.co.uk

Facebook page of The Sportsman - www.facebook.com

Official site of The Sportsman - thesportsmansussex.co.uk

This is a cracking village pub with a nice multiple room layout and some top-class views out over the surrounding countryside. The pub is located on the ‘wrong’ side of the village for those arriving into Amberley by train, necessitating a lengthy walk along country lanes, into the heart of the village and back out the other side again. Entering into the right-hand side of the building, you find yourself in a fairly unremarkable space, akin to a basic public bar set up, with hard bench and chair seating throughout and a dartboard on the end wall. The pub’s mid-section is a small bar area with the servery to the rear and more hard benches and low stools down either side. The bar has a nice dark wood counter with a wooden pillar midway along its length and a simple bar back broken up by a doorway through to the kitchen. The left-hand side is the largest area, incorporating a modern extension to the rear. This space has a more formal feel to it, with nice carpets throughout, the servery over to the right and some smart tables and padded chairs dotted about, most set up for diners. The room leads out to a nice rear conservatory where plenty more seating can be found, again popular with diners. Like the rest of the pub, the décor is fairly plain, with white walls, pastel shaded fittings, a few nice old paintings and the occasional interesting ornament, but I suspect previous incarnations have felt more ‘pubby’ and less food-focussed. The conservatory leads you out to a fine decked garden with an elevated position that provides great views out over the surrounding floodplain where you can spot deer and a vast array of birdlife – bring your binoculars! There are five handpulls at the bar, four of which are in the middle room, so make sure you pop in there to view the entire range. Options on my visit were Fullers London Pride, St Austell Tribute, Goldmark Microbus, Harvey’s Sussex Best and Dark Star Hophead. My pint of Hophead was in great shape and I had a great time sat out in the bright sun supping my beer and watching the deer crossing the fields towards the river. It’s a shame that this rural pub has lost some of its character thanks to a generally bland makeover. The retention of separate rooms ensures there are still some good spots to enjoy a nice beer or two, but for me the star was the garden, which really is a must on a warm day. Overall, I liked this place and felt it was worth the effort trekking out here from the train station.