Village pub built in 16th Century damaged by fire

A village pub owned by the De La Warr family has been closed after it was damaged in a fire.

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (ESFRS) were called to the Dorset Arms in Withyham Road, Withyham, near Ashdown Forest, at 21:10 BST on Monday.

Station manager Rebecca Yair told BBC Radio Sussex 30 firefighters and seven fire engines, including some from Kent Fire and Rescue Service, had been at the scene at the height of the blaze.

The pub owners thanked the "prompt attendance" of emergency services in a post on social media.

"The pub is closed for the time being and we apologise to all those who have made bookings or were planning on dropping in the pub," the owners said.

"The Earl and Countess De La Warr are very grateful for the help and sympathy from the community, and we will keep everyone posted."

The fire was extinguished by 01:00 on Tuesday, with no casualties reported.

Yair said the fire started in the kitchen area at the back of the property.

"Because it is an old building it was important we stopped the spread of the fire quickly," she said.

"The fire alarm alerted the manager who contacted us immediately.

"It is important, particularly for old buildings, to have fire alarms and fire protection in place," she said.

An investigation into the cause of the fire has been launched by ESFIRS.

Dorset Arms was built in 1595 before becoming a pub in 1735.

The De La Warr family are an aristocratic family originating from Sussex.

The 9th Earl De La Warr, Herbrand Sackville, commissioned the building of Bexhill landmark the De La Warr Pavilion.

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