November 2025. Mayfield. East Sussex.
My penultimate East Sussex Beer Guide tick takes us deep into the Weald, but only half an hour from Mrs RM’s in-laws (and Kentish Paul, coincidentally).
Mayfield lies deep in the teenage Miss Spencer consciousness, for reasons we’ll see shortly, but first it’s lunch at the white boarded Rose & Crown.
We narrowly overtook the inevitable horsey riders at the turn (at about 3mph), and nabbed a table just before they made it to the bar for their Guinness 0.0.
I’d plonked down on a dull table by the door, mentally put off by that random coat,
but as it became obvious it was just a random parka reserving the prime table for no-one, Mrs RM made a dash for the warmth while I bought her beer.
Harvey’s obviously, but also the Three Acre Mosaic from down the road near Uckfield that gets you in the GBG because Guide pubs are expected to have indie (ugh) beers.
The nice barman leans across Mrs RM to add fuel to the fire,
which then becomes such a furnace that Mrs RM considers moving.
I am not for moving, even if Mrs RM is doing a Joan of Arc at the stake impression by now, and bang on cue her lambs liver arrives. Liver is the easiest dish of all to muck up, but this is sensational.
Press PLAY below to enjoy a proper real fire;
The banter behind the bubbles in the beers (both a 3, + or -), comes from your septuagenarian gentlefolk table of four who are trying to identify the cutting-edge pop soundtrack (played at a good volume so it’s easy to Shazam but gentlefolk aren’t really Shazam-confident).
“I believe in miracles…” he starts, speaking the words like Richard Harris doing Macarthur Park.
“Where you from. You sexy thing“. I know I love young people, but older people are great too. It’s the 49 year olds you need to worry about.
My burger looks meagre on the plate, but it’s also outstanding, though you really need Mrs RM’s £3 peppercorn sauce to dip your chips in.
The pub is quiet when we arrive, but more gentlefolk arrive after 1pm, attempting to pronounce “Arrabiata” on the special menu and failing.
“I’ve just finished the Forsyte” someone whispers.
“Ooh, lovely”.
retiredmartin 
The only Mayfield I’ve known is the one only just in Staffordshire. I passed it with my bus pass four months ago but don’t think I’ve used the Royal Oak since it was a Home Ales pub, probably the only one this side of Derbyshire.
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It’d be about fourteen years since I last used it Paul, and I can’t remember that much about it if I’m honest. It’s on the east bank of the Dove, and so I think that it’s in Derbyshire, unlike most of Mayfield?
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Thanks Etu for correcting me.
I think of the Peak District as mainly Derbyshire but two of my nights thereabouts four months ago were just in Staffordshire, Ilam and Sheen.
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I was sure there were several Mayfields, Paul. It’s possible at least one is a shopping centre in Croydon.
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I always try to bag a fireside seat but so often it turns out to be a mistake -this happened at the wonderful Royal Oak at Fritham -I was gutted when we were driven back to a cooler seat.One of the ones I like best is in the Thomas Tallis in Canterbury.Pauline
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Oh yes that’s a great pub at Fritham.
The hottest fire I recall is the Dead Poets in Holbrook near the Denby factory, a real scorcher but the best place in the world to drink Bass.
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The Rose & Crown is still a proper boozer, making it, in my book, the best pub in Mayfield. It’s certainly well worth the short, downhill walk, away from the village centre, although for completeness, you ought to take a look at the imposing, and rather more upmarket, 16th Century, Middle House Hotel.
Easily reached by the No. 51 Stagecoach service, from Tunbridge Wells.
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“We narrowly overtook the inevitable horsey riders at the turn (at about 3mph),”
(slow golf clap)
“and nabbed a table just before they made it to the bar for their Guinness 0.0.”
What is it with 0.0 beers lately?
“I’d plonked down on a dull table by the door, mentally put off by that random coat,”
(peers at pic below)
That small reddish thing on the table could be a reserved sign? Also, there’s an empty black carton on the outer hearth (or hearth extension) beside that seat with coat. Maybe the box held an extension cord for Christmas lights?
“but as it became obvious it was just a random parka reserving the prime table for no-one, Mrs RM made a dash for the warmth while I bought her beer.”
Mrs RM knows her stuff!
Also, in the pic below I can see know that the black carton is a pack of 15 firestarters from Jack’s (Tesco?).
“but also the Three Acre Mosaic from down the road near Uckfield that gets you in the GBG because Guide pubs are expected to have indie (ugh) beers.”
Any beer made near Uckfield will obviously be ugh.
“Spot the difference”
A bloody big log!
“I am not for moving, even if Mrs RM is doing a Joan of Arc at the stake impression by now, ”
(slow golf clap)
“(played at a good volume so it’s easy to Shazam but gentlefolk aren’t really Shazam-confident) ”
Blimey. Even I’m aware of Shazam.
“I know I love young people, but older people are great too. It’s the 49 year olds you need to worry about.”
Yup. Don’t know whether they’re coming or going at that age.
“though you really need Mrs RM’s £3 peppercorn sauce to dip your chips in.”
At that price I’d be dipping my toes into it!
“attempting to pronounce “Arrabiata” on the special menu and failing.”
I may not pronounce it properly, but I know what it is (thanks to my darling wife, the cook).
““I’ve just finished the Forsyte” someone whispers.”
Pfft. What about Downton Abbey?
Also, I seemed to have missed the teenage Miss Spencer reference.
Cheers
PS – No idea how I missed this post two days ago, or even yesterday!
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I think you may have missed this post because I started it on my phone on the train from Sheffield but finished it the next day, Russ, so although the date suggests it was published on the 1st it was actually only sent to press on the 3rd. Goodness knows what I was doing on the 2nd. Oh yes, pubs. So you’re not going mad.
No, I can’t explain 0.0 beers, particularly ales and stouts. A few German lagers like Jever Fun are OK.
The red thing on the table is a Cruzcampo beermat !
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Got it on the date thingy. It probably ‘dates’ it when you start a new post. No worries. 😉
Agreed on 0% lagers. My wife enjoys one every so often, after reaching her half bottle of wine limit.
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Miss Spencer is now Mrs RM.
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I kinda thought that but didn’t want to assume.
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