Arundel has been named Sussex’s number one pub hotspot, with more pubs per capita than any other town in Sussex and a pub for every 276 residents, new research reveals.
Brighton residents Julia Sabrowsky and Matt Lindley analysed listings in the CAMRA Sussex pub guide to work out which Sussex towns and cities have the most pubs relative to their population size. They also looked at the Sussex towns and cities with the most pubs and the Sussex villages with the most pubs.
Key findings
- The historic market town of Arundel has more pubs per capita than any other town or city in Sussex, with only 276 people per pub – followed by Rye (326 people per pub) and Petworth (648 people per pub)
- Perhaps unsurprisingly, the city of Brighton and Hove has more pubs than anywhere else in Sussex (207 pubs), beating Hastings (60 pubs) and Worthing (53 pubs)
- In terms of villages, the coastal enclave of Lancing near Shoreham comes out top for pub fans, boasting seven boozers in total
Which Sussex towns have the most pubs per capita?
With an epic eleven pubs serving its population of 3,034, Arundel boasts a boozer for every 276 residents, all within strolling distance of the historic town centre.
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| Rank | Town | County | Population | Number Of Pubs | People Per Pub |
| 1 | Arundel | West Sussex | 3,034 | 11 | 276 |
| 2 | Rye | East Sussex | 4,885 | 15 | 326 |
| 3 | Petworth | West Sussex | 2,593 | 4 | 648 |
| 4 | Battle | East Sussex | 5,330 | 8 | 666 |
| 5 | Lewes | East Sussex | 16,070 | 21 | 765 |
| 6 | Midhurst | West Sussex | 5,371 | 7 | 767 |
| 7 | Shoreham-by-Sea | West Sussex | 23,676 | 19 | 1,246 |
| 8 | Brighton & Hove | East Sussex | 277,106 | 207 | 1,339 |
| 9 | Selsey | West Sussex | 10,738 | 8 | 1,342 |
| 10 | Hastings | East Sussex | 91,480 | 60 | 1,525 |
Which Sussex towns have the most pubs?
| Rank | Town | County | Population | Number Of Pubs |
| 1 | Brighton & Hove | East Sussex | 277,106 | 207 |
| 2 | Hastings | East Sussex | 91,480 | 60 |
| 3 | Worthing | West Sussex | 111,621 | 53 |
| 4 | Eastbourne | East Sussex | 99,189 | 43 |
| 5 | Crawley | West Sussex | 120,549 | 32 |
| 6 | Horsham | West Sussex | 50,223 | 27 |
| 7 | Lewes | East Sussex | 16,070 | 21 |
| 8 | Chichester | West Sussex | 31,729 | 20 |
| 9 | Shoreham-by-Sea | West Sussex | 23,676 | 19 |
| 10 | Bexhill | East Sussex | 43,754 | 17 |
Which Sussex villages have the most pubs?
The large seafront village of Lancing has seven boozers selling real ale, according to the CAMRA Sussex guide. Findon near Worthing and Lindfield near Haywards Heath are also worth a visit, having five pubs each.
Villages with seven pubs: Lancing
Villages with five pubs: Findon, Lindfield
Villages with four pubs: Alfriston, Angmering, Billingshurst, Cuckfield, East Preston, Felpham, Forest Row, Henfield, Pagham, Rottingdean, Rustington, Southwater, Ticehurst
Methodology
- To find the Sussex towns and cities with the most pubs, data was collected from the CAMRA Sussex pub guide, which lists all pubs in Sussex selling real ale
- The towns and cities with the most pubs per capita were discovered by dividing each town’s population by its number of pubs to work out the number of people per pub
- Population figures were sourced from City Population and are taken from the 2021 United Kingdom census
If you do decide to use these findings, it would be much appreciated if you could include a link to Julia’s website (https://www.juliasabrowsky.com/) and to my Twitter (https://twitter.com/mattelindley).
Download hi-res images here.
Brighton and Hove has long been known as a mecca for pub lovers. Scattered between Portslade in the west and Saltdean in the east you’ll find 207 pubs, which would take four years to visit if you tried a new one every week.
Contact: Matt Lindley, Digital PR Specialist, mattelindley@gmail.com