About

A historic village pub with a modern approach

History

A public house steeped in history

The family records reveal that The Dorset Arms was built in 1595 and became a public house in 1735.

Situated in the outstandingly beautiful Sussex Weald, part of the historic Buckhurst Estate, the pub is named after the Earls and Dukes of Dorset, one time heads of the Sackville family, and shares a heritage of family ownership now headed by their descendant, William Sackville, the 11th Earl De La Warr.

It has been in the same family ownership since the 16th century, except for the period 1986-2013, during which it was the property of Harvey’s of Lewes. It is now back under family ownership.

Easily accessed via the footpaths through the Buckhurst Estate are both the church of St. Michael and All Angels, in which the tombs of the Sackville descendants can be found and the real life “100 Aker Wood” made famous as the setting for the Winnie the Pooh stories of A. A. Milne, where Christopher Robin played with the present Lord De La Warr’s father.

In his 1909 ‘Sketchbook of Tours in Kent and Sussex, a charming drawing of the Dorset Arms appears by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the celebrated early 20^th century architect, designer and artist. Mackintosh was known to be a close friend of Lady Margaret Sackville’s and while visiting Buckhurst Park designed the sign for The Dorset Arms and is also believed to have added the finials to the exterior of the pub.

Part of the historic Buckhurst Park Estate

Buckhurst Park has belonged to the De La Warr family for more than 900 years. In the reign of William the conqueror, it formed part of the Estate of Ralph de Dene, and was recorded in the Doomsday Book.

It passed to the Sackville family – Lords Buckhurst, Earls and Dukes of Dorset, and Earls De La Warr in 1140 and the history of Buckhurst and the Sackville family has been woven into English history ever since.

The Estate hosts many outdoor pursuits including pheasant shooting, fishing and clay pigeon shooting and, with the beautiful backdrop of Buckhurst Park, is the ideal choice as a wedding venue or for corporate events.

Find out more at buckhurstpark.co.uk

Our People

Lord De La Warr

Having spent most of his early career in the City of London, Lord De La Warr has always had a passion for food, which is evident in his involvement with all aspects of The Dorset Arms, but particularly the menus.

When, five years ago the opportunity to buy back The Dorset Arms presented itself Lord De La Warr was able to incorporate the pub back into the Buckhurst Park Estate as well as realising his childhood dream of owning a restaurant.

Lord De La Warr is passionate about using locally sourced food, our Sussex beef comes from a local farm or when possible comes from his own pure bred, organic (grass fed) Sussex cattle reared on the Buckhurst Estate, as do the pheasant, partridge, duck and venison that we use during the season.

The famous and very popular Buckhurst Park sausages are produced locally and made to his own (secret) recipe.

Lord De La Warr’s involvement in The Dorset Arms ensures that we have a diverse selection of classic and contemporary dishes, served in a restaurant that offers the very best without ever surrendering the feel of a village pub.

Careers

Join our team

We’re always looking for extraordinary people to joint our team.
Please get in touch for vacancies or to find out more.

Call us on

01892 770278

What our customers say

"Some of the best pub food we have sampled "

"Absolutely wonderful lunch following a 5 mile hike around Buckhurst Park and 100 acre Wood on a pleasant November day.
Some of the best pub food we have sampled in many years of dining out.
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""Would definitely recommend it here""

"Group of 12 work colleagues for a late lunch. Service was excellent and the food was really delicious. I had duck salad and it was very good indeed, followed by 3 tiny puddings, delicious. Would definitely recommend it here."

"The food was delicious! Portions were generous and we all thoroughly enjoyed our meal"

"Came here on a Saturday evening with family, having booked a few days prior. The pub is a very traditional English looking pub (which I love) and it was busy, which was also lovely to see. The food was delicious! Portions were generous and we all thoroughly enjoyed our meal. I can highly recommend the Venison Ragu - it was delicious.
The staff were lovely, very friendly and attentive. How we haven’t come across this gem before I don’t know!! We shall definitely be returning."

""If anyone is looking for the ‘best Sunday Roast’ I can’t reccomend the Dorset Arms in Withyham enough""

"If anyone is looking for the ‘best Sunday Roast’ I can’t reccomend the Dorset Arms in Withyham enough!! Idyllic country village 20 mins outside of Tunbridge Wells, warm atmosphere, friendly and attentive staff. The Sunday roast was exquisite, well portioned and cooked to absolute perfection eveyone should try this The Dorset Arms, Withyham
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""The service was exceptional, food was delicious and the atmosphere was great - you are a great team" "

""We have just moved to the area and had some friends over so decided to book The Dorset Arms for their sunday roast. We were not disappointed at all. The service was exceptional. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was great. We had such a great time here that we will be sure to bring others here too. Amelie was great at taking my booking and looking after us. Thank you guys. You are a great team and we look forward to seeing you again soon.""

"We would have no hestitation in recommending it to others .."

"We have been to the Dorset Arms many times over the past few years and the standard has been consistently good. Lovely warm friendly atmosphere, nice staff and good food. Always a pleasurable experience. We would have no hesitation recommending it to others. Thank you for a great Sunday lunch!"

""A warm inviting country pub with rooms ..""

"What a brilliant find. A warm.and inviting country pub with rooms. We had a fabulous dinner and breakfast the following morning. The Manager was so friendly and together with her staff... nothing was too much trouble..would highly recommend!"

""Really good, honest pub grub""

"Food was timely and well cooked, fresh and as described on the menu. Cosy atmosphere.
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"Lovely pub with welcoming open fire..."

"Good food and very friendly staff. Will definitely be back. A great find "

"Lovely pub, quite traditional but the food is awesome."

"Lovely pub, quite traditional but the food is awesome. Only had Harvey’s on hand pump but IPAs, Guinness and lagers available. The smoked haddock on mustard mash was delicious. There’s a 7 mile walk that loops from this pub, so what’s not to like 😁"

"Super dog friendly .."

"Great service and fantastic value set menu. Interesting food and beautifully presented.super dog friendly Tooze will definitely be back soon"

""Hidden Gem" "

" stumbled across the Dorset Arms while in the area and what caught my eye straight away was the sight of oysters on the menu, not something you expect from a traditional pub tucked away in the middle of Sussex. Naturally, curiosity (and a love of good seafood) led me in.

I was genuinely impressed. The Mersey oysters were outstanding, fresh, briny, and as good as any I’ve had. In fact, I usually swear by the oysters at Smiths in Wapping, which are hard to top, but these were right up there.

The staff were polite, the atmosphere relaxed, and the food far exceeded expectations. If you are anywhere near the area, the Dorset Arms is absolutely worth a visit, especially if you’re an oyster lover."