THE SPORTSMAN INN, AMBERLEY

 

The Sportsman in Amberley has become a community-run pub after a successful campaign by local volunteers. 

The pub is known for its incredible views overlooking Amberley Wild Brooks, with many visitors using the rear terrace to catch a glimpse of the white-tailed sea eagles which nest in the nature reserve. 

Villagers have been battling to keep the pub open since the previous tenants left in 2024, after which The Sportsman was placed on the market. Roger Agate fronted a Save Our Sportsman (SOS) Action Group in a bid to prevent it being converted into residential dwellings. 

Roger said: ‘My grandfather used to run the grocery shop in Amberley and I have fond memories of growing up in the village. The Sportsman’s history dates back to the mid-19th century, when it was first established as a beer house. It was later in brewery ownership, firstly with Chichester-based Henty & Constable, then Friary Meux. 

‘However, it was under Chris and Jenny Shanahan that the pub truly thrived and became a focal point of community life. They ran the pub for about 20 years, before leasing it to a succession of tenants. Each landlord tried something different: One brought in a very good chef, while another took inspiration from taprooms and brewed on-site. They all had good intentions and some worked very hard, but all eventually succumbed to the financial challenges involved.  

‘After the previous tenants left, Chris put the freehold up for sale. There was interest, but anyone looking at buy for commercial reasons could see that the pub required investment, so its value as a business was below what the owner was hoping to realise. Despite the hopes of everyone that it would remain a pub, it was – in all likelihood – going to be sold to a developer and converted for residential use. The only way to prevent this was to buy The Sportsman as a not-for-profit community asset. Although I had no prior experience of the pub trade, some of us regulars believed it could be a proper village pub again.’

Shattered Dreams

The Save Our Sportsman (SOS) campaign was formed, with volunteers conducting a survey amongst villagers and patrons. The responses showed that people wanted a traditional pub with a casual atmosphere, which they could visit any time of day. They wanted a local selection of beers and wines, and good food at affordable prices – not a gastropub or fine dining restaurant.

The newly-formed committee of Community Sportsman Amberley Ltd took inspiration from Plunkett UK, a charity which helps communities rescue and run local businesses, particularly shops and pubs. Their plan was to raise funds to buy the freehold by selling shares to locals wanting to own part of a village pub, as well as through business loans and grant schemes.

It was initially hoped that a significant proportion of the necessary funds would come from The Community Ownership Fund (COF), a government initiative designed to help community groups take ownership of local assets, such as shops and pubs. The newly-formed SOS committee delayed the submission of an application to the COF, opting instead to compile a more detailed case for the next round of applications. The delay proved costly.

‘The COF was a victim of his own success,’ says Roger. ‘The first rounds of grants attracted a lot of publicity, as they were very successful, so the third round of applications was oversubscribed. By the time our application was due to be considered, a General Election had been called and the COF initiative ended with the change in government. 

‘Such a grant would have formed a significant part of our fundraising target to buy the pub’s freehold. Having missed out on the grant, we were left in a state of limbo, as we needed to make up for the shortfall in other ways. However, we continued to seek support from individual shareholders, asking for a minimum of £500, with a fundraising target of £780,000 We have received support from a mix of people. Some live in Amberley or have connections through friends and family. One shareholder is a former resident who now lives in Australia! I originally thought we were doing this for the village, so it has been a pleasant surprise to have received support from people from much further afield who love the pub and appreciate what we’re trying to achieve.’ 

‘It has been a hard slog and we’ve gone months without making any progress at times, so it feels surreal for all of us involved in the campaign to have reached our goal. However, we are continuing to sell shares, as it will enable us to pay back some of the loans and fund improvements to the pub. Throughout this time, our full-time manager Jo Westland has done an amazing job and it really does feel central to village life once again.’

Great Grub

The Sportsman has recently won a coveted CAMRA award for local branch pub of the year 2026, returning to the CAMRA Good Beer Guide after a 20-year absence. It offers ales from a number of Sussex breweries including Firebird Brewing Co and Lakeside Brewing Co, and hosts a Beer Festival twice a year. One of the committee members is largely responsible for sourcing beers and the 

prospect of The Sportsman brewing its own beers in an adjacent garage has been mooted for the future. The pub works in partnership with Petworth-based wine merchants Henning’s on its wine list too, which currently includes bottles from nearby Nutbourne Vineyards.

The pub has both a lunchtime and an evening menu, with a selection of very reasonably-priced pub classics including South Downs pork sausages with mash, vegetables and gravy (£15.95), Best beer-battered fish and chips with crushed peas and lemon (large £19.50/small £15), Wholetail scampi with chips, tartare, peas and lemon (£15) and ham, egg and chips (£14.95). On its lunchtime menus, it has a welcome range of lighter bites, including baked potatoes with daily fillings (£10.95) and a selection of sourdough sandwiches (all £11.95) including brie and bacon, and a CBLT (chicken, bacon, lettuce and mayonnaise). Another option is a traditional Ploughman’s Lunch, with a choice of cheeses including Brighton Blue.

The Sportsman is really famed for its views, but if it’s known for anything else, it’s probably its range of wonderful burgers. These include a crispy halloumi burger (£17.50), Peri-peri breaded chicken burger (£18.50) and arguably the pick of the bunch, a Trenchmore Farm Sussex Wagyu beef burger (£19.50) which is sourced from the Cowfold farm famed for its melt-in-the-mouth beef.

Stunning Landscape

As well as serving food and drink seven days a week, the pub hosts coffee mornings, quizzes, babies and pensioner mornings, classic car meetings and open mic nights, while a Bridge group and book club regularly hold meetings there. The Wild Brooks, adjacent to RSPB Pulborough Brooks, attract people from far and wide. Many visitors perch themselves on the outside decking and scan the landscape through binoculars or long-lens cameras. Thanks to a LEAP grant from Horsham District Council, several old wooden garden tables have been replaced by tables made from recycled plastic, which are better suited to the changeable climate. 

Roger said: ‘The Wild Brooks is vast – over 800 acres – and as it’s mostly owned by Sussex Wildlife trust in partnership with the RSPB, it’s protected habitat. There are always herds of deer roaming the land, but most come to see wildfowl and birds of prey, especially the white-tailed eagles. The landscape is remarkable and changes by the hour, as it shifts with the tide and floods during heavy rain. When people see it for the first time, their jaw drops. We are treated to the most beautiful sunsets too, so just sitting outside is a wonderful way to spend an evening.’

‘We have five guest rooms too, with several overlooking the landscape. Many come here as Amberley as an ideal location between the North and South Downs. We have plans to improve the view too, potentially replacing the conservatory with a more permanent structure in future. There is scope to extend the dining area too, and possibly add a lower terrace to make best use of the views and give even more people to visit our beautiful community-run pub.’

Further information: For more information on the Save Our Sportsman campaign, and to find out more about contributing, visit www.thesportsmansussex.co.uk

Originally published in the May 2026 edition of AAH. Photos: Alan Wright Photography/Words: Ben Morris