Fountain Inn, Ashurst
Encyclopedia
The Fountain Inn is a 16th-century public house
in the village of Ashurst
, in the Horsham
district of West Sussex
, England. After a period as a farmhouse, it was converted into the village inn and was extended and given a Georgian
façade in the 18th century. English Heritage
has listed the building at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance.
about 3 miles (4.8 km) north of the town of Steyning
. The parish covers a large area (2494 acres (1,009.3 ha)) and consists mostly of well-spaced farms and other scattered buildings, but a small settlement had developed around the Horsham
—Steyning road by the early 16th century. Many of the present buildings are 16th-century, although in some cases they replaced older buildings. Development spread along the road in the 17th century.
The first inn
in the parish was to the south of the main settlement, near Horsebridge Common
. It existed by the 17th century and over time was known by at least three names, the last of which was The Fountain. The building occupied by the present inn of that name was one of several timber-framed
, partly tile-hung farmhouses in the centre of the village, opposite the village pond. It became an inn under the sign of the Red Lion by 1788, and adopted the name Fountain Inn soon afterwards.
In the early 19th century, the building was extended: an extra wing was added on the north side, perpendicular to the original structure, in brick. In contrast to the tiled roof of the older part, the newer wing had a roof of slate. At the same time, the façade was altered from its original timber-framed appearance: the Georgian style
, popular at the time, was adopted.
Author Hilaire Belloc
, who wrote extensively about Sussex in his fiction and non-fiction works, mentioned the Fountain Inn in his novel The Four Men: a Farrago; he wrote approvingly about the beer.
In 1979, the pub was used to film the video for Wonderful Christmastime
, Paul McCartney
's Christmas song with his band Wings
.
Actor Sir Laurence Olivier
lived just south of Ashurst, and the Fountain Inn was his local pub.
The Fountain Inn was listed at Grade II by English Heritage
on 9 May 1980; this defines it as a "nationally important" building of "special interest". As of February 2001, it was one of 1,628 Grade II listed buildings, and 1,726 listed buildings of all grades, in the district of Horsham.
s, a hipped roof
of tiles, a steep-roofed entrance porch and two gable
-end chimneys. The wing to the north is of brick with a slate-covered roof and sash windows. Both parts of the building have two storeys. Inside, there is a smaller bar with a large inglenook
, and a larger bar to the rear.
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
in the village of Ashurst
Ashurst, West Sussex
Ashurst is a village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England, about west of Henfield, and south of Horsham on the B2135 road. The village is about west of the River Adur. There is a 12-century parish church dedicated to St James, a C of E primary school and a pub, the...
, in the Horsham
Horsham (district)
Horsham is a local government district in West Sussex, England. Its council is based in Horsham. The district borders those of Crawley, Mid Sussex, Mole Valley, Chichester, Arun and Adur....
district of West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, England. After a period as a farmhouse, it was converted into the village inn and was extended and given a Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
façade in the 18th century. English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
has listed the building at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance.
History
Ashurst is a small village and civil parishCivil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
about 3 miles (4.8 km) north of the town of Steyning
Steyning
Steyning is a small town and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It is located at the north end of the River Adur gap in the South Downs, four miles north of Shoreham-by-Sea...
. The parish covers a large area (2494 acres (1,009.3 ha)) and consists mostly of well-spaced farms and other scattered buildings, but a small settlement had developed around the Horsham
Horsham
Horsham is a market town with a population of 55,657 on the upper reaches of the River Arun in the centre of the Weald, West Sussex, in the historic County of Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester...
—Steyning road by the early 16th century. Many of the present buildings are 16th-century, although in some cases they replaced older buildings. Development spread along the road in the 17th century.
The first inn
INN
InterNetNews is a Usenet news server package, originally released by Rich Salz in 1991, and presented at the Summer 1992 USENIX conference in San Antonio, Texas...
in the parish was to the south of the main settlement, near Horsebridge Common
Common land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
. It existed by the 17th century and over time was known by at least three names, the last of which was The Fountain. The building occupied by the present inn of that name was one of several timber-framed
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
, partly tile-hung farmhouses in the centre of the village, opposite the village pond. It became an inn under the sign of the Red Lion by 1788, and adopted the name Fountain Inn soon afterwards.
In the early 19th century, the building was extended: an extra wing was added on the north side, perpendicular to the original structure, in brick. In contrast to the tiled roof of the older part, the newer wing had a roof of slate. At the same time, the façade was altered from its original timber-framed appearance: the Georgian style
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
, popular at the time, was adopted.
Author Hilaire Belloc
Hilaire Belloc
Joseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc was an Anglo-French writer and historian who became a naturalised British subject in 1902. He was one of the most prolific writers in England during the early twentieth century. He was known as a writer, orator, poet, satirist, man of letters and political activist...
, who wrote extensively about Sussex in his fiction and non-fiction works, mentioned the Fountain Inn in his novel The Four Men: a Farrago; he wrote approvingly about the beer.
In 1979, the pub was used to film the video for Wonderful Christmastime
Wonderful Christmastime
"Wonderful Christmastime" is a 1979 Christmas song by Paul McCartney. It enjoys significant Christmas time popularity around the world. The notable synthesiser riff was played on a Sequential Circuits Prophet-5. The song was later added as a bonus track on the CD reissue of Wings' Back to the Egg...
, Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
's Christmas song with his band Wings
Wings (band)
Wings were a British-American rock group formed in 1971 by Paul McCartney, Denny Laine and Linda McCartney that remained active until 1981....
.
Actor Sir Laurence Olivier
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
lived just south of Ashurst, and the Fountain Inn was his local pub.
The Fountain Inn was listed at Grade II by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
on 9 May 1980; this defines it as a "nationally important" building of "special interest". As of February 2001, it was one of 1,628 Grade II listed buildings, and 1,726 listed buildings of all grades, in the district of Horsham.
Architecture
The façade of the newer (east) part of the Fountain Inn, facing the road, was clad in painted cement during the 19th-century alterations. It has a range of two evenly-spaced sash windowSash window
A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels or "sashes" that form a frame to hold panes of glass, which are often separated from other panes by narrow muntins...
s, a hipped roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
of tiles, a steep-roofed entrance porch and two gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
-end chimneys. The wing to the north is of brick with a slate-covered roof and sash windows. Both parts of the building have two storeys. Inside, there is a smaller bar with a large inglenook
Inglenook
An inglenook , or chimney corner, is a small recess that adjoins a fireplace.Inglenook may also refer to:*Inglenook, California, community in Mendocino County...
, and a larger bar to the rear.