History
- It's believed that the original building was built around 1900, not as a public house but as a slaughter house and butcher's shop.
- Groceries, including honey were sold alongside meat through the 20s and 30s and beer began to be sold at the property in the 1940s.
- The name 'The Royal Oak' was given to the pub and this was written in huge letters on the tiled roof.
- During the second world war the sign was obliterated on army instructions because there was a danger that it might serve as a guide to enemy bombers.
- The pub was bought from the Bass Charrington brewery in the early 70s by the then owner of Drusillas Zoo, Michael Ann, who changed the name to 'The Sussex Ox'.
- The pub was given this new name as it was in this area of Sussex that the last team of oxen were used to farm the land.
- The Sussex Ox was very successful in the 70s and 80s as it was one of the first pubs around to actively welcome children, with a huge playground and ice cream machine!
- David & Suzanne Pritchard bought the pub in June 2004 and took out the playground as it had become quite tired. They replaced it with a decked eating area on which to enjoy the sunset.
- Internally the pub is today very much as is has been over the past decades, with brick floors laid directly onto the earth, church pews and wooden panelling.
If you have any other information or photos of the pub from times past then please let us know so that we can begin to 'fill in the blanks'.
Outside the front of The Royal Oak, 1949 Landlord Fred Aspin (2nd from r), his wife Phyllis (3rd from r) and their daughter Aline (4th from r)
From The Star Weekly, Toronto, September 23rd 1950. The car of the landlord of The Royal Oak nearEastbourne was in need of a new roof and a local thatcher provided it!
Until the 70s, The Sussex Ox was known as the Royal Oak.
A hunt preparing to set off from The Royal Oak in the early 60s
An aerial shot taken on our moving in day, June 28th 2004
