The Cat Inn has got a bit of history. Well, as a 16th century free house, you might expect it would. One of its claims to fame is that it was (for a short period of time) the hiding place of Jacob Harris.
Harris was a travelling pedlar who, whilst engaged in a minor burglary in 1734, killed a pub landlord, his wife and maid. Having hidden at The Cat, he was eventually caught nearby hiding in a fireplace. For the very adventurous, there is a post at Wivelsfield/ Ditchling that celebrates his demise:
Apart from this, The Cat was once part of the estate of Thomas Sackville, the 1st Earl of Dorset, and the name is probably derived from the wild cats that appear on his heraldic coat of arms. In the late 1980s, it was my place of escape from college – but that’s a whole different story.
What to expect
Turn off the main road from Turners Hill to Ashdown Forest, and West Hoathly is a delightful little historic pocket. The Cat sits on the corner opposite the church but parking is tight so take a small car or catch the bus. It has an outside terrace for the summer, and lots of seating indoors as well as two inglenooks to huddle round in the winter.
The Cat has quite a few accolades including a mention in the 2025 Michelin Guide for “Good value cooking focuses on tasty pub classics” and in the Good Food Guide 2024 and the Good Hotel Guide 2024.
A quick look at the menu, and I was happy. There is lots of local wine including Albourne, House Coren, Nyetimber and Gusbourne as well as local beers (Firebird and Harvey’s) and cider (Wobblegate). A quick check in with their website confirmed they also use lots of local suppliers for their food including sourcing veggies and fruit from a two acre market garden less than 1.4 miles away. They also have local art on the walls and non alcoholic cocktails. I was very happy.
Arriving on a busy and sunny Friday lunch time, I should have booked as it was buzzing but I was met with one of the warmest welcomes I have ever recieved and they found room for us. Note to self, booking is needed for inside but not for the outside area.
What’s on the menu?
The freshly prepared menu had lots of choice from dill and harissa mussels with rosemary focaccia or confit and smoked tomatoes on toast with white balsamic jelly and avocado puree to start, to pan fried duck breast or crispy squid and chorizo salad with an apple and sweet chilli dressing for main. And what’s not to love about a classic fish and chips, truffle and parmesan chips and Sussex cheese? They also have a good selection of vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options, as well as MGF – dishes that can be modified to be gluten free. The service we enjoyed was superb as was the food and dogs are welcome (not in the main dining area).
Time to explore
There is a lot to explore in the area. A skip and a jump from the pub is the Priest House built in 1430 by Lewes Priory. It has been a museum since 1905 and is now owned by Sussex Past – The Sussex Archaeological Society. It is open to the public from 1st March to 31st October. Also look out for the 16th century manor house (it’s hard to miss but not open to the public) and have a mooch around the church, parts of which date back to the 11th century.
For the walker, there is a footpath that takes you directly either to Wakehurst (with a tiny bit of not very nice road work) or to the South of England Show Ground. You are also on the High Weald Landscape Trail and the Sussex Border Path and of course, you are not far from Ashdown Forest.
Luckily, The Cat has accommodation so if you want to explore further, you can stay the night. For us, sadly, it was a passing visit but somewhere we will definitely return to. If you like this post about The Cat, you may also like:
