The Oldest Pub in Hastings

By Steve the Beermeister 

This is a slightly re-written article that was published in the most recent Hastings Independent, and I found it wasn't such an easy question to answer: what is the oldest pub in Hastings? When I first decided to write this, I thought it would be a 'doddle', silly me! Up until a few years ago, most Hastingers would point to the Kings Head, on the corner of The Bourne and Courthouse Street, as the oldest pub, but since it closed down I found a number of different opinions, depending on who you talk to.  

How shall I define the oldest pub? Well, I'm adopting the 'oldest continuously used as a pub building' as my baseline, and any advice providing guidance would help me out, though how to define Hastings isn't so easy either!  I'm taking the Anchor Inn as my baseline, the hostelry that most people I have talked to accept as the oldest, in the 'old town' anyway... 

Starting with the Grade II listed Anchor Inn in George Street then, whose name is believed to originate from boats mooring outside the pub when the sea used to come up to its front door... Different sources say the Anchor has existed since about 1600, or 1680. The British Listed Buildings website says the interior and main architectural features are dated from about 1810-20, so there's the experts view. However, there is definite evidence the Anchor Inn was licenced in 1798 to Anne Thwaites, and it certainly appears to have been around for at least a hundred years before that. 

Not always a pub, the Anchor has previously been used as a court house, which helps to support stories that the bar is 'haunted', indeed, some say the Anchor is the 'most haunted' pub in Hastings, though that used to be said of the Kings Head too! But there are many colourful stories about its past, and from not so long ago.    

The landlord, Dennis Kingham, and his partner Sara, have run the Anchor for 3 years now and, coincidentally, he told me he used to run the Kings Head when I interviewed him recently. The Anchor Inn is a cosy 'traditional' pub, with an inglenook fireplace, wood burner and wooden floors, and, if you haven't already been there, then you should certainly visit if you are interested in the pub and brewing trades and local history. 

Dennis has worked in the trade for 45 years, indeed, when he was the landlord at the King's Head he was the first publican in the country to bring a cash machine onto the premises. Also, with his cellar management history, he knows how to look after his ales, including 3 'regular' Shepherd Neame beers, that is, Bishops Finger, Spitfire and Master Brew, and one guest, often Whitstable Bay Pale Ale. I had a pint of the Bishops Finger on my last visit, an old favourite of mine, and it is still a very good strong darker bitter. 

They also have an excellent reputation for food, mostly sourced locally, eg they serve freshly caught fish from 2 nominated Hastings boats, RX389 and RX1066. Indeed, on Sundays, tables for 'roast' lunches are highly sought after, so, if you want a ghost of a chance of eating there, it is wise to book ahead! 

As I suggested above, there are a few other opinions as to the oldest pub in Hastings, consequently, very much more to come from me still, cheers!