Bulls Head, Pratts Bottom

Originally dating from 1569, this former coaching inn and stage post served travellers on the old London to Hastings & Rye road (now Rushmore Hill) until 1836, whereupon the new coach road bypassed the village. It is believed that an earlier inn once existed on this site. A door once existed above the former main entrance for loading luggage onto the top of coaches, but was subsequently bricked up when no longer required. Both ale and cider were both produced on the premises (records show that a brew house was located in an outbuilding). The village had a reputation for being the haunt of smugglers and highwaymen. Local legend has it that the highwayman Dick Turpin frequented this inn and stayed at an adjacent cottage, which he accessed via a secret tunnel ... In the second half of the 19th C, this was owned by the Oak Brewery in nearby Green Street Green and sold their Fox & Sons Ales. In 1909, the premises had to be sold at auction due to financial problems with the Oak Brewery. (The village name of Pratts Bottom was so named after the Pratt family who lived locally from the 14th C. The village has also been referred to as Spratt's Bottom in the 18th C.)