Dark Star to open a pub in Horsham

It's true! After a few days of rumours, Dark Star Brewery in Partridge Green has announced that they are opening a pub in Horsham in early 2016.

The new pub will be at 16 East Street, which was, until recently, Café 1898 but closed earlier this week. The premises are reverting back to their former use, a pub! And the Anchor Tap name1 will be revived.

James Cuthbertson from Dark Star commented:

What we want to create is a venue that provides locals with a great place to go and have a drink and a bite to eat that's independent, locally owned and operated, using products from local producers

This is fantastic news. More choice and the availability of local brewery ales in Horsham can only be good for the town and for pub-goers. I'm looking forward to Horsham's new pub!

Update February 2016: The pub has opened and I reviewed it in A Couple of Pints at The Anchor Tap.

1 About 30 years ago, the building (built in 1898) at 16 East Street was a pub called the Anchor Tap. A Horsham branch of CAMRA was formed at the pub. Subsequently, it was called the Parrot and Anchor (an information place and soft drinks bar for teenagers as I recall) which closed. Since then, it's been a shoe shop and Café 1898.

If you know more about the pub's history, let me know.

Comments

  • Gravatar image of the commenter
    Kevin Brown

    11 Dec 2015 05:16:47

    Remember it from the sixties! I think it was a King and Barnes house. Famous for its full size snooker table in the back bar.

  • Gravatar image of the commenter
    Arnold Layne

    17 Jan 2016 17:54:14

    It was a K&B house and as I recall a pretty basic one. The last time I visited it the beer was pretty rank. It closed long before the 1990s, I would guess the early 1980s.

  • Gravatar image of the commenter

    09 Jun 2016 22:34:42

    It’s not much, but named the Anchor Shades in 1930 and 1938.

  • Gravatar image of the commenter
    Stormcock

    11 Aug 2016 12:21:58

    It was known to some locally as the Anchor and Parrot on account of a stuffed bird (of the feathered variety) that was behind the bar. It was very much a market pub. The twitten that leads down the side was originally the entry point for the horses stabled at The Anchor Hotel. The Tap was frequented by the grooms and carriage men as they weren’t allowed in the main pub.

  • Gravatar image of the commenter
    TelephoneSam

    29 Dec 2016 22:45:38

    The Anchor Tap closed about 1984. Known by some as The Parrot & Anchor, it was a basic market style pub where a thirsty market stall patron could nip for a quick drink at the bar. It was originally a tap House for The Anchor Hotel.

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