The quaint village that’s home to the best pub in the UK – and it’s just 10 minutes from one of Britain’s best beaches
THE UK’s best pub has been named and it’s in a quaint little village, just 10 minutes away from some award-winning beaches.
Britain is home to some truly excellent traditional pubs, but the best has been singled out for its “quirky” atmosphere and “unusual ideas”.
The Gun Inn, in Findon, West Sussex, was crowned Overall Great British Pub of the Year at the Great British Pub Awards.
Judges valued its uniqueness and creativity, as well as the food and drink, which they said made the boozer stand out from the competition.
They said: “The decidedly quirky feel extends to a busy events calendar with the team encouraged to come up with unusual ideas.
“Highlights are the pub’s own music festival and a Hallowe’en fancy dress contest – for dogs.
“Add equally creative, freshly-cooked, food, Spanish and French themed evenings and Ringwood ales on the pumps and you have a pub that’s delightfully, distinctively, different.”
Guests love the pub too, with an overall score of 4.6/5 on Google, from more than 600 reviews.
One said: “The roast dinner was the best I’ve had out in as long as I can remember.”
Another added: “Wouldn’t change a thing! Quirky pub with a fireplace. The food, service and atmosphere was all perfect. Delicious pork belly, ribs and clementine cheesecake!”
Findon itself is a small and fairly rural village, with some impressive scenery nearby.
Included in that scenery is the Cissbury Ring, the largest hillfort in Sussex and “the most historic hill on the South Downs,” according to the National Trust.
The fort has more than 5,000 years of history and it covers about sixty-five acres.
People go up to the hillfort for walks, many of whom have praised the views and the wild horses that can be found roaming nearby.
Cissbury Ring has an overall score of 5/5 on TripAdvisor, with one user writing: “A lovely place for a walk with stunning views of the surrounding countryside and sea.”
Another added: “Lovely walk around Cissbury Ring far from the madding crowd. Wild horses are indeed there.”
The sea that can be seen from the hillfort is in Worthing, which can be reached by car in little more than 10 minutes.
The beach in Worthing is award-winning, with the seven-mile stretch of beach, with both soft sand and shingle, has been given the Seaside Award several times by charity Keep Britain Tidy.
They hand out the honour to beaches with “the highest standards of beach management and water quality”.
Visitors also found the beach to be a great day out, with one writing on TripAdvisor: “Nice clean beach that is not too busy. Really good during high tide and the waves are not very big so good for kids.”
Another said: “Nice clean and tidy beach. Lovely to relax with fish and chips.”
Its art-deco pier and viewing wheel add extra attraction to a day out at Worthing’s seaside.
Just along the coast from Worthing is Goring-by-Sea, which has been described as West Sussex’s best kept secret.
The blue-flag winning beach impressed Sun Online when we visited, with one of the locals asking us not to spread the word, saying: “We want to keep it our secret.”
A night in Findon can be booked from £23.50pp per night, although a camping pitch nearby can be found from £22 per night, for as many as five people.
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