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The Angel Inn

An Historic Coach House Inn in the Heart of the South Downs

The Early Days

The details of The Angel Inn’s earliest history are unclear, but we do know that it was a resting place for pilgrims. Originally a section of the Rectory Manor under the ownership of Eton College and incorporated into the neighbouring Manor of Petworth in 1718.

A deed from 1721 describes the address as a “publik house,” but the earliest mention of The Angel by name is in a 1753 land tax assessment, valuing it at a mere £4. To put this in perspective, neighbouring structures were appraised anywhere from £2 to £15.

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The Angel Tap

In the late 18th century, The Angel was owned by the Osborn family. It was passed down to John Greenfield, and then to his son John Osborn Greenfield. As far as we can tell, the younger John Greenfield was a successful businessman, and generally hired a manager to run the Inn until his death in 1869.

Across the street, a property which is now a private house served as a tap to the Inn, since it did not have a separate liquor license. Very little is known about the origins of the tap, but we do know that it existed by the second half of the 19th century. The source of this knowledge is a record of the petty sessions at Petworth on November 28, 1863, which refers to a stolen duck purchased from Charles Mitchell at The Angel Tap.

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The Angel Hotel, Public House

In 1897, a description of The Angel appeared in the sales listings of the Steyning Brewery, and suggests that it was well on its way to becoming The Angel we know today: 

“Lot number 12: The Angel Hotel, public house, Petworth. An important brick built and stuccoed house with tiled roof, containing spacious entrance, bagatelle room, bar, smoke room, and spirit store, commercial room, market room, with side entrance, kitchen, fuel store and C. On the upper floor are eight bed and sitting rooms, and there are good cellars in the basement. A paved outlet in the rear contains corrugated shed, bottle store, pantry, and wash house, and pleasure garden in the rear.”

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The War and Post-War Years

Towards the end of the 19th century, The Angel and the “tap” opposite it were rented by Harry Paris, a popular landlord who stayed on despite the sale of the Inn in 1897. Some reports suggest that it was one of the main venues from which Sir Winston Churchill planned the Normandy invasions.

In between the World Wars, ownership of the Inn passed through various hands, including Captain Edwards, Albert Wells, William Berry and Arthur Duckett. After the wars, the Inn has been associated with the Tunks, and the Gilpin families. 

In the last century, the Inn has been refurbished and re-opened several times. After stints of ownership by Steyning Brewery, Portsmouth and Brighton United Breweries, Brickwoods and Whitbreads, the Inn is once again a free house, and is part of the Petworth Places family. 

The Petworth Places Family

Fond Memories of The Angel Inn

It seems that H.S. Mackintosh, a balladeer in the 20th century, passed some enjoyable evenings at The Angel. In the tradition of Hilaire Belloc, Mackintosh immortalised the Inn in the following verses:

Ballad in Memory of “The Angel, Petworth”

We have sung songs of many times and places,
The easeful songs of laughter and of war,
In lusty tenors, baritones and bass,
We’ve chanted ditties, from our boundless store,
And yet, it’s vain attempting to ignore,
This hard and bitter fact – it’s no use blinking,
The truth will out (it shakes us to the core)
We sing a great deal better, when we’re drinking. 

By tavern fires, ringed round with friendly faces,
Have we not heard the cries, “Bravo… Encore!”
And sung, so loudly, that we’ve burst our braces,
Shanty and round – and still they’ve asked for more?
What verve, what golden notes, what vocal lore
Are ours, when seated in a tap room sinking
A pint or two! – yes (even from the floor)
We sing a great deal better, when we’re drinking.
But in the morning, (tis perhaps the traces,
The tuneful efforts of the night before)
Our voices – say in the church – might cause grimaces, 

While at the Wigmore Hall we might not score
A quarter of our usual furore.
Come then at nightfall, to “The Angel”, linking
Arm in affectionate arm, a happy four
We sing a great deal better, when we’re drinking.

(With thanks to “No Passing Trade” by Miles Costello)