Dear reader,
This week I am forsaking The Metropolis to venture into the green and leafy forests of East Sussex and I now draw your attention, if I may, to a glorious little pub tucked away in the woods where Winnie the Pooh was accustomed to wander.
Stepping into the Hatch in Coleman’s Hatch is like stepping into a bygone age. The ceilings, so low that a bumped forehead is genuine risk, are festooned with hops and the warm glow from candles and the lights at the bar create an atmosphere that is hard to abandon.
The building itself is a conversion of three cottages that date back to 1430 and it feels as though little has changed. In the summer there are three outdoor areas to sip fine Sussex
One of the locals that frequents this fine country pub is a tree surgeon named Toots. With a roguish glint in his eyes and pint of Larkin’s in his calloused, oil-smeared hand, Toots is a regular fixture at the Hatch. A tree surgeon by trade it is Toots' hobby that has earned him his nickname.
Toots owns a steamroller from the 19th century, a great mechanical monster that runs on coal and travels at about five miles an hour if it's going downhill. Toots cares for this mighty engine with diligence and love and in the summer months drives her to country fairs and events.
On one such occasion I was invited along for the ride and so, flatcap perched on my head, I went with him. It took a few hours of burning wood and coal for the water to turn to steam and power the engines. It took many more hours to reach the fairground, stopping as we did at the occasional pub on the way, but throughout the trip Toots was patient and keen to impart his remarkable knowledge over the deafening roar of the engine.
It was a trip that I shall never forget and would never have gone on were it not for Toots and his deep commitment to the endangered world of traction engines and steam rollers.
The Hatch's is in East Sussex and its post code is TN7 4EJ.
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