Raise a glass to the ghosts of Sussex, your definitive guide to all the haunted pubs overflowing with spirits!
Sussex is famous for its rolling downs, historic seaside towns, and charming country inns. But behind the timber beams and crackling fireplaces lurk tales far darker than most locals dare whisper.
From smugglers’ ghosts in Hastings to spectral barmaids in Brighton and eerie poltergeists in Lewes, the pubs of East and West Sussex are alive with history… and perhaps not entirely empty after last orders.
(We’re going to be adding to this all the time, so get in touch if we miss anything!)
List of haunted pubs in Sussex
Ardingly
- The Oak, Street Lane, Ardingly, RH17 6UA
Patrons have encountered a phantom dark‑haired “Grey Girl.” She appears to customers and causes minor disturbances—spillages, swinging objects—mysteriously.
Arundel
- Norfolk Arms Hotel, High Street, Arundel, BN18 9AB
A playful poltergeist keeps staff on their toes by switching lights and appliances on and off and pushing utensils off counters. Some have seen a semi‑naked male apparition dashing about.
- Unicorn Public House, 76 High St, Bognor Regis PO21 1RZ
Haunted reportedly by the spirit of a Methodist priest—a fitting, if eerie, occupant given the pub’s location. Sightings include a ghostly clerical figure appearing near the bar area.
Bognor Regis
- The Lion Inn, Nyetimber Lane, Pagham, Bognor Regis PO21 3JX
Recurring footsteps between rooms 5 and 6 at around 3 am, thought to belong to the “lady in blue” whose silk dress has been heard rustling along the corridor.
Brighton and Hove
- Ali Cats, 80 East Street, Brighton, BN1 1NF
During refurbishment, workmen reported strange human groans echoing from nowhere and sudden cold spots. - Aquarium Pub, Marine Parade, Brighton, BN2 1TB
Staff and guests have heard an unseen entity calling them by their first names inside the pub. - Bat & Ball, Ditchling Road, Brighton, BN1 4SQ
In the 1990s, a barefoot woman in a nightdress appeared and danced through the bar then vanished; also reported is a grey‑haired middle‑aged female ghost. - Bath Arms, Meeting House Lane, Brighton, BN1 1HD
A middle‑aged Victorian gentleman in period attire has been spotted standing by a pillar; another ghost wears a tricorne hat. - Bedford Tavern, West Street, Brighton, BN1 2RA
A woman who died in the cellar—some say locked in or died in childbirth—her forlorn ghost roams the cellar and halls. - Black Lion, Black Lion Street, Brighton, BN1 1ND
Haunted by Brighton’s first brewer, Deryk Carver (executed in 1555); staff report an uneasy presence in the cellar and shadowy figures. - Brighton Rocks (formerly The Battle of Waterloo), Rock Place, Brighton, BN1 1HN
The ghost of a cloaked coach driver murdered by a highwayman has been seen near the entrance and in the toilets. Staff report cupboards wedged shut and filing cabinets toppling. - Caroline of Brunswick, Ditchling Road, Brighton, BN1 4QA
An invisible prankster haunts the pub. It’s an unseen presence calling out names when no one else is around. - Druid’s Head, Brighton Place, Brighton, BN1 1HJ
A hooded figure glimpsed in peripheral vision vanishes when looked at directly; occasionally a woman in red appears near the bar. - Dyke Tavern, 218 Dyke Road, Brighton, BN1 5AA
In 1996, a worker saw a grey‑dressed woman with a pale grey face by the fireplace; she disappeared before his eyes. - Fishbowl, East Street, Brighton, BN1 1HN
The cellar is haunted by a young girl’s ghost, seen as a tall woman in her twenties drifting away in the shadows. - Fisherman’s Rest, Kings Road Arches, Brighton, BN1 1NB
Landlord claimed CCTV footage shows strange shapes moving at night; regulars mention sudden cold drafts with no apparent source. - Font, Union Street, Brighton, BN1 1EE
In a former church building, the pub has its “church ghost”—a woman in a grey shawl peering through the window, dressed in early‑20th‑century style. - Franklin Tavern, Lewes Road, Brighton, BN2 3QD
A former barmaid saw a shadowy figure behind the bar on multiple occasions; locals suggest it might be the spirit of a former landlord and/or his wife. - Green Yard, Black Lion Street, Brighton, BN1 1ND
Paranormal activity includes lights switching off/on unaided, items falling from shelves, and an invisible hand stroking a customer’s forehead. - Horse & Groom, Islingworth Road, Hanover, Brighton, BN2 0FS
“Fred,” a regular who died, remains in his favourite chair—glasses move on their own and a pint slid from a shelf seemingly by itself. - King & Queen, Marlborough Place, Brighton, BN1 1UB
Windows open themselves and unexplained shouting can be heard from upstairs rooms when vacant. - Lord Nelson, Trafalgar Street, Brighton, BN1 4ER
Poltergeist activity includes glasses flying off shelves; a customer was scratched by an invisible force. A previous landlord had the pub exorcised. - Marlborough Tavern, Princes Street, Brighton, BN1 2LN
A pale woman is seen gliding across the stage area; believed to be the murdered wife of a former landlord. - Mariner, Hove, BN3 4JU
Staff heard beer crates being kicked around in the cellar; cellar doors open/close on their own. - Mash Tun, Church Street, Brighton, BN1 1UJ
The ghost of a former landlady from WWI is heard walking, and seen causing glasses to slide and clothes to be thrown down stairs. - Old Ship Hotel, Kings Road, Brighton, BN1 1NR
A maid once saw a couple sitting on a bed who vanished instantly; a shadowy figure glided across the ballroom in another sighting. - Park View, Preston Drove, Brighton, BN1 6YJ
One witness fainted after seeing a modern‑clothed man on the staircase; elsewhere, a glowing orb with a young girl’s face hovered nearby. - Pavilion Tavern (now The Fitz Regent), Castle Square, Brighton, BN1 1FX
On Halloween 1997, patrons watched a bright ball of light travel along an upstairs wall before fading—no obvious source found. - Prestonville Arms, Hamilton Road, Brighton, BN2 2LE
Boxes and beer crates in the cellar move silently on their own and relocate by morning, as if tidied by an unseen hand. - Prince Arthur (now Brighton Beer Dispensary), Dean Street, Brighton, BN1 1UF
Staff reported a misty female figure occasionally glimpsed at the corner of the eye; objects shift on their own and phantom footsteps are heard in empty rooms. - Pump House, Market Street, Brighton, BN1 1HH
A barmaid saw a woman in a black dress speaking then vanish; staff often hear footsteps and voices in the cellar when it’s closed. - Regency Tavern, Russell Square, Brighton, BN1 2EF
A misty tall female apparition once passed through a barman. Previously, poltergeist activity supposedly linked to a young disabled girl who jumped from a window occured here. - Sidewinder (formerly The Lion), Upper St James’s Street, Kemp Town, Brighton, BN2 1GL
Haunted by the ghost of landlord Henry Metcalf (1936 murder‑suicide); hostile presence in basement. A small boy’s ghost occasionally seen playing inside. - Volks Tavern, Madeira Drive, Brighton, BN2 1EN
Spectral figure of a blonde woman dancing inside; possibly linked to the old West Pier. - Windmill, Upper North Street, Brighton, BN1 3FH
Glass and bottles have launched from shelves by unseen forces; one locked room was later found completely ransacked with no sign of entry.
Chichester
- The Castle, 21 West Street, Chichester, PO19 1QJ
A Roman soldier in full armour has been spotted marching along the city wall and briefly appearing in the pub’s upper‑floor loft. - The Chichester Inn, 38 West Street, Chichester, PO19 1RP
Haunted by a ghostly Roman centurion seen from the waist up, along with cold spots and mysterious noises. - The Dolphin and Anchor Pub, West Street, Chichester, PO19 1QD
Home to a playful young girl who moves objects and a former landlord who tips glasses. Locals say these mischievous ghosts give the pub its spirited atmosphere. - Royal Oak Inn, Hooksway, near Chichester, PO18 9JZ
Haunted by William “Shagger” Shepherd, a sheep thief killed by a mob; his restless spirit is sensed via cold spots and feelings of being watched.
Crawley
- George Hotel, High Street, Crawley, RH10 1BS
Former 16th‑century coaching inn haunted by Mark Hurston, a night watchman who died from poisoned wine; lights switch on and off, and locked cupboards found open. Read about George Hotel in Crawley. - Brewery Shades Inn, 85–87 High Street, Crawley, RH10 1BA
Dating from the 15th century with subterranean tunnels once used as cells, this Grade II‑listed inn reportedly hosts a doorbell ringing by itself, a man heard in the ladies’ toilet, and a woman and child seen in a room where a bed once burst into flames.
Cuckfield
- White Harte Inn, South Street, Cuckfield, RH17 5LB
Several patrons and a press report describe a spectral figure gliding from front door toward the kitchen. Historic inn of around 700 years old.
Eastbourne
- The Lamb Inn, 36 High Street, Old Town, Eastbourne, BN21 1HH
Locals widely cite this as one of Eastbourne’s most haunted places — claimed to hold at least six ghosts. A YouTube ghost‑hunting video captured unexplained phenomena fitting pub activity.
Hastings
- Anchor Inn, 13 George Street, Hastings, TN34 3EG
Once a courthouse with smugglers’ tunnels below, haunted by the spirit of a smuggler hanged at the pub. Described as a man in sea boots and dark blue jersey seen in the back bar. - Stag Inn, 14 All Saints Street, Hastings, TN34 3BJ
Hastings’ oldest pub, housing two mummified cats bricked into a chimney. Ghosts include Hannah Clarke (accused witch) and a Dutch sea captain seen drifting through the rooms.
Lewes
- The Lamb Inn, Fisher Street, Lewes, BN7 2DG
A ghost floats up the cellar stairs – some say a deserter soldier killed on the spot, others say a French refugee who died happily here; either way, a figure is reported. - The Shelleys Hotel, High Street, Lewes, BN7 1XS
Poltergeist activity – objects move on their own and lights flicker. Witnesses report “The Blue Lady” in a blue gown, a Cavalier soldier, and even a phantom small dog in the car park. - The Elephant & Castle, White Hill, Lewes, BN7 2DJ
Near the historic “Gallows Bank”, a male ghost has been seen walking through walls, entering one side of the pub and exiting the other in a straight line nightly.
Littlehampton
- The Dolphin, 34 High Street, Littlehampton, BN17 5ED
High‑Street pub built in 1735. CCTV footage has allegedly captured ghostly figures in the upstairs function room. One medium described a “hunched figure” seen in camera playback during ghost‑hunt events.
Midhurst
- Spread Eagle Hotel (formerly Spread Eagle Inn), 49 The Square, Midhurst, West Sussex, GU29 9NH
Historic coaching‑inn dating back to at least the early 15th century. Paranormal enthusiasts report unexplained poltergeist activity in hidden sub‑levels, vaulted cellars and uneven floors, including phantom footsteps and sudden noises—but no clear ghostly figures recorded.
Nuthurst
- Black Horse Inn, Nuthurst Street, Nuthurst, RH13 6L
Often called the most haunted pub in Sussex: the “haunted table” slides pints across it; ghost of a jealous husband sits and spies from window; phantom horse sounds (“Nuthurst Ned”) heard outside; the face of a young woman sometimes seen in an upstairs window; objects move in the bar and upstairs.
Petworth
- The Angel Inn, Angel Street, Petworth, GU28 0BG
18th‑century coaching inn haunted by the ghost of a woman who died after witnessing her friend slip down the stairs. The friend’s ghost is seen endlessly replaying that moment on the staircase.
Robertsbridge
- The Seven Stars Inn, 34 High Street, Robertsbridge, TN32 5AJ A medieval 14th‑century Wealden hall‑house listed inn. Local reports include poltergeist activity and a boy ghost. One paranormal group cited it among the top haunted pubs nationally.
Rye
- Mermaid Inn, Mermaid Street, Rye, TN31 7EY
One of Britain’s most haunted inns at least eight resident ghosts: duel‑witnessing apparitions, a Lady in Grey that dampens clothes, smuggler pranks, moving rocking chair; staff and guests have heard crashes and seen maid roaming halls. Read more about The Mermaid Inn. - Union Inn, East Street, Rye, TN31 7JY
Three distinct ghosts: a little girl in a blue dress, a woman in a red dress seen on stairs, and a bluish old sailor figure in the bar nursing a drink.
Shoreham‑by‑Sea
- The Schooner Inn, 74 Shoreham High Street, Shoreham‑by‑Sea, BN43 5DA
Rumoured to host the playful spirit of a child who drowned in the harbour; late‑night prank‑like activity is often attributed to this mischievous apparition.
Worthing
- Thieves’ Kitchen (formerly Vintner’s Parrot), 10–12 Warwick Street, Worthing, BN11 3DL
Built in early‑19th‑century listed buildings including an old chapel, this pub is famed locally. Although not officially documented as haunted, its nickname and quirky history hint at mischievous hauntings—perfect for future investigation.
Have you met a ghost in a pub in Sussex?
We’ve gathered every haunting we could find, from ghostly highwaymen in Rye to mischievous pub poltergeists in Nuthurst, but many stories remain untold.
Have you visited one of these haunted Sussex pubs and experienced something strange? Share your story in the comments below and help keep Sussex’s supernatural pub lore alive.
And if you’ve got a story about a haunted pub in Sussex, please get in contact with us on our contact page!
