The Cricketers Arms, Polegate

Facebook page of The Cricketers Arms - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of The Cricketers Arms - www.facebook.com

Fine old Harvey's pub in a small village at the foot of the downs, with a leafy beer garden at the front (plus a larger, plainer one at the back). Once inside the compact general seating area (with a welcome wood-burner), you find the bar counter in front of you and similarly sized dining rooms to the left and right. Sussex Best and am excellent Old (£5.00) available from two of the three handpumps, with the casks visible from a glazed door into the rear taproom. Harvey's 'Prussian hopped' Pilsner also available from one of the keg taps.

For me this is unquestionably Harvey's best pub and would automatically go into any list of top Southern Pubs. Berwick is a village of two halves, this pub being on the Northern edge of the original village and the other half being a mile or so to the North centred around the railway station. The village is magnificently overlooked by the South Downs escarpment. It is set far enough from the busy A27 (it took me nearly five minutes to get across it!) to avoid any traffic noise. It's on the right down the lane but you're more likely to spot the pub sign than the building itself as it is partially hidden by the extensive front garden which is traversed via a rough paved path. You go through a door into the bar area which is basic with a few benches & scrubbed tables and a red tiled floor. On either side are carpeted rooms with tables and chairs primarily for eating. Behind the bar is the "cellar" which I was pleased to see is now temperature controlled. There is also a rear garden which had a marquee in it filled with tables and chairs. The three beers available were Old, Armada and Best all served straight from the cask. Prices were £3.60 for the Best, £3.70 for the Old and £3.75 for the Armada. As I had nearly an hour and a half before my bus returned from Eastbourne I tried all three. The Old and Armada were both very good but the Best was outstanding. I got here at opening time on Saturday and not surprisingly was the only one in apart from the barmaid wrapping cutlery in serviettes. Various groups soon started drifting in including what looked like a Morris Dancing team. There is a sign on the A27 saying that it's open all day from 11:00 but I suspect that applies to Summer (May to September) although I believe it's open the whole day Saturday all year round. The infrequent 125 bus goes from Lewes Bus Station to Eastbourne and passes the top of the village lane. I haven't been to many pubs in the South better or as good as this so it gets a 10.