Sussex

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Toffs, tenants, teens and twenty somethings are all hanging contentedly in the many fire-warmed inglenooks of The Blackboys Inn when I arrive. There are two welcoming bars, a dining room and womb like cosy booths with delicious assignation potential. Spatchcocked dogs litter the parquet, haunted by the scent of sublime home cooking, each lethargically resigned to a lengthy stay. Five attractive family sized letting rooms with US motel vibes sit separately in gorgeous gardens. A walled duck pond and orchard provide distraction for rampaging kids.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-location">THE LOCATION</h2>



A coaching inn that dates back to the 14th century, The Blackboys Inn sits near midway between Mayfield and Lewes. Built as an inn for iron workers, it was one of the original 17 hostelries that founder John Harvey of Harveys Brewery in Lewes bought in the early 19th Century. It is still owned and managed by the company today. 



Part highwayman haunt, part lordly den – there’s an egalitarian air about the place that’s very Sussex. It’s way above par on both the ale and food fronts and expertly managed by hands on husband and wife, Jay and Natalie who’ve lived onsite for a decade. Regular events such as Burns and Game Night (the meaty kind) are always well attended.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-vibe">THE VIBE</h2>



Utterly unpretentious the pub attracts everyone from poshington locals in wholly cashmere to well-mannered bikers, weekenders, cyclists, walkers, lovers, families and solitary drinkers. The staff are youthful, keen, welcoming and able.



Enter the ancient oak front door into a warm tiny hallway. Turn left for the snug, cosy with wood fired stoves, it’s right for the main bar with its gorgeous boothed bays. Dogs masquerading as bearskin rugs line the parquet, watch your step as you wonder through to the rear where a comfortable back room offers private dining potential.



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The building is magical, timber framed with old oak linenfold latched doors, stone flags, parquet, solid hardwood tables and oak settles. Nothing here is superfluous – expect oak wainscoting and shelves of well-thumbed books, a piano, dark green walls, woodblock prints and a bar that positively gleams with the shine of time. There a kind of integrity to the interiors – no staging here. Outside the gorgeous gardens host anything from classic cars to Boxing Day Hunts to pecking hens and summer supping bikers.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scoff-quaff">SCOFF/QUAFF</h2>



The Blackboys Inn offers wholesome food with a refined edge, simply but attractively presented – much like the interiors. You’ll not find poncey inedible garnish, foam, sous vide nor dust. You will find a smorgasbord of intelligent locally sourced offerings, perfectly plated and judiciously seasoned with fresh chopped herbs.



There is a hint of the St John of Smithfield about the weekly changing menu. On Sundays the focus is on roast, a reduced but substantial menu is still available for those that prefer to graze on other fare.



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I visited at the close of food service on a Sunday afternoon, the nastiest time possible for a cover to call, yet I could not have been made more welcome. There are no children’s offerings but most of the menu is available in pared down-sizes for a lesser price. Egalitarian in every way.



I ate at the bar in the snug and immediately felt at home listening the hum of local chatter. No one turned to gawp nor questioned my irritating bar take over. I was instead casually accepted, seamlessly enveloped in the warmth of the room.



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I started with Devilled Kidneys on sourdough toast (£7.95). Superbly cooked, tender, sapid with piquant heat, a buttercup yellow brandy-noted unctuous sauce dripped deliciously on the kidneys and sliced toasted sour dough below. A clever smattering of peppery watercress added further bite. Mouth-watering.



For my main I chose a simple burger. The Blackboys Inn Cheeseburger (£15.95) was chewy, dense and delicious. A perfectly toasted crisp prone brioche and patties made from home ground chunk and brisket were firm, savoury and satisfying &#8211; rich in meat flavour, textured and as far from processed as it is possible to get. Judiciously seasoned and oh so moreish – it was crowned with home spun burger sauce atop a gherkin and melted cheese. A substantial stack. Accompanied by skin-on slim salted fries and a delicately dressed peppery garnish, it was impossible to fault. I ate every crispy crumb on that plate.



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The place is lauded for its puddings. Sunday offerings included Sticky Toffee pudding, butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream (£7.25), Triple Chocolate Brownie and ice cream (£7.25) and Blackboys Orchard Crumble (£7.25). Alas I did not sample them but will on my mob handed return, they look insane on Insta. Next time I’m bringing the rabble.



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Everything is homemade and it shows. Runny centred scotch eggs, roasted garlic and truffle risotto, ham hock and salt and pepper squid were just some of the Sunday starter offerings. Monkfish curry, Leppard’s ham, egg and chips, halloumi burger and ribeye complemented fantastically priced roast offerings (from £13.95 for the vegetarian option). Rare Sirloin of Beef at £16.95 was eyeballed and admired by my critical eye. I always judge a roast on the rarity of the beef and I am happy to report it was beautifully pink.



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The Blackboys is a Harveys pub and it serves Harveys beer – as a bitter-drinking Sussex girl I could not be happier with their offerings. Sussex Best is hoppy, balanced and, well &#8211; bitter. Seasonal Harveys offerings such as Tom Paine, Bonfire Boy and Christmas Ale rotate as required.



Wine offerings are sensible but not staid. Updated every six months the list was last refreshed in November and reflects the desires of the local market. Three rosé wines, three sparkling, nine reds and nine whites, including, I was glad to see, a well-priced Sussex still white. Ditchling Court Garden is made from a blend of Pinot Gris Chardonnay and Ortega (£33.00). The 2019 vintage was on sale when I called which I know to be a peach of a wine, fresh and zingy with citrus, lime and baked honeyed Granny Smith apples.



The list offers a carefully chosen mainstream selection of classically flavoured offerings, good to see a Chilean and a New Zealand Sauvignon, both excellent value at twenty quid a bottle but nothing else particularly exciting on the white front. The reds too are without exception, all excellent value classics – designed to deliver and not furrow brows.



The sparkling offerings were more disappointing, two Proseccos and a Champagne. This is price driven – at £26 a bottle the Prosecco is excellent value, it would be impossible to match that price with an English sparkling. Local producers take note and pitch! The second Prosecco is offered in an airplane measure 20cl bottle – a great idea for singles seeking a sparkling lift. I spoke to Harveys Wine Manager and he confirmed that many of their houses do offer English Sparkling – he also told me that sales of Champagne have dropped across the board in favour of English so watch this space.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-out-and-about">OUT AND ABOUT</h2>



The Blackboys Inn sits on the edge of the High Weald, a wooded region with a history of housing free-thinking radicals. Jack Cade, Thomas Paine, the Bloomsbury Group, Rudyard Kipling, Roger Daltrey, Vivienne Leigh and Gretta Scacchi have all lived locally. It’s thought the Blackboys name came courtesy of the blackened furnace workers roundabout – until about 1800 the area made its money from the manufacture of iron cannon. You can even spy iron tombs in nearby Mayfield Church (<a href="https://www.stdunstansmayfield.org.uk">St Dunstans</a>).



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="576" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/02/Tickerage-Mill-1000x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-62678" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/02/Tickerage-Mill-1000x576.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/02/Tickerage-Mill-800x461.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/02/Tickerage-Mill-768x442.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/02/Tickerage-Mill-900x518.jpg 900w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/02/Tickerage-Mill.jpg 1104w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption>Vivien Leigh&#8217;s old home, Tickerage Mill</figcaption></figure>



This is riding country, horses hitched up out front are a common site. The <a href="https://www.tinkerspark.com/?p=84">Hadlow Down Steam Rally</a> is held close by in June, on Boxing Day the hunt calls in. Fabulous <a href="https://www.charleston.org.uk">Charleston</a>, the home of the Bloomsbury Group is 12 miles south as is furry-fan favourite, <a href="https://www.drusillas.co.uk">Drusilla’s Park</a>. There are endless woodland walks, footpaths and bridleways that may be joined directly, one even takes you past the stunning former home of Vivienne Leigh, Tickerage Mill (in private ownership). <a href="https://www.glyndebourne.com">Glyndebourne</a> is less than twenty minutes away too.



Medieval Mayfield is under 7 miles north. Much like <a href="https://www.lewesbonfirecelebrations.com">Lewes Bonfire Night</a>, <a href="https://mayfieldbonfire.co.uk">Mayfield</a> holds its carnival in September to mark the burning at the stake of four Protestant Martyrs in 1556. An incredible unmissable show, slightly pagan, wild and free, it’s far more intimate than Lewes which is now world famous. Expect to be enveloped in the throng.



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Kipling’s home, <a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/sussex/batemans">Batemans</a> is 10 miles east and is a fantastic starting block for footpath adventures, for viewing exhibitions and enjoying Jacobean architecture. <a href="https://www.pashleymanorgardens.com">Pashley Manor Gardens</a> in Ticehurst are sublime especially in tulip season.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-muddy-verdict">THE MUDDY VERDICT</h2>



Good for: Ancients, teens, children and couples alike, for amorous assignations, steam roller drivers and classic car voyeurs &#8211; this pub is pretty much perfect for all. In summer the gardens and duck pond will enthral tiny children. The aforementioned lack of pretension, solid wine list, timeless ambience and upscaled elegant food classics will bring a smile to even the most curmudgeonly face and prize open the tightest of padlocked purses.



Accommodation is well priced (From £90 a night depending on the season). Most of the room have a mezzanine and extra sofa bed. It’s ideal for families and business regulars as well as overseas guests. Informal, chilled and non-judgemental, this place has seen it all. Its classy with a small c. Tux or tweed, it’s all the same to them.



Not for: Poncey wine nerds, vegans, dog haters and hunt saboteurs. The pub lies on a fast country road so badly trained moronic mutts and careless children should be kept on a leach whilst out front as should Champagne swigging sociopaths.



The damage: At £14 for a main, £8 for a starter and £7 for a pudding food is incredible value. Rooms start at £90 and are great for families, business trips and tourists alike. There is a reason why its the canny locals favourite.



<a href="https://theblackboys.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Blackboys Inn</a>, Lewes Rd, Blackboys, Uckfield TN22 5LG Tel: 01825 890283

Review: The Blackboys Inn, Blackboys, East Sussex

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