The pub was taken over quite recenty by a new landlord. From what I can gather it was open for busiiness with the usual log fire in the open hearth when a customer came in & asked to speak to the landlord in private. He'd spotted some sparks coming out of the chimney stack which appeared to be settling & glowing on the thatched roof. The place was evacuated while the landlord tried to tackle it himself. It didn't look too serious & he thought he could handle it. This is what happened. It's enough to make a grown man weep. (These photos are not mine.)
90 firefighters from all over Sussex attended the blaze. The place is completely gutted & apparently the heat was so fierce it melted all the glass in the bar.
Fortunately nobody was hurt & the place will be rebuilt. The original timbers are gone & will have to be replaced. This is one of the risks with those pretty thatched properties.
