Home > Sussex > Burwash > Kicking Donkey Inn Kicking Donkey Inn
Date of photo: 2011	© Copyright Julian P Guffogg and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
The Kicking Donkey Inn was situated on Witherenden Hill. Formerly known as The New Inn it has now been converted to two cottages.
Source: Darkstar
My Dad and I remember this pub very well from the 1970s when we performed there several times with the morris side I used to play for; Chanctonbury Ring Morris Men. Apparently they used to retail Bob Luck cider which had the strength of barley wine and anything more than a half would render the unsuspecting customer well and truly out of action for several hours!
John Wickens (January 2013)
Some friends & I ended up there on an evening motorcycle ride sometime in the late 1970's. I was somewhat surprised to see an acquaintance from Hastings, the famous musician John Martyn at the bar. Apparently his management had persuaded him to move to the country in an attempt to get him away from the drug culture he'd got mixed up with in town, & he settled on this pub as his local.
Chris Meachen (December 2016)
I was in Burwash in June 1974 as a 16-year old, on a school trip from Glasgow. We were staying in an old, abandoned Seminary called St Joseph’s in Burwash.Me and a couple of mates visited the Kicking Donkey for some under-age drinking. The people running the bar were lovely and let me sing “Last Train to Glasgow Central” and “Deep in the heart of Texas” (because there was a Texan in the pub) on their little stage. The owner told us that Jimi Hendrix had a drink in the bar in 1967. I was very impressed because I was a big Jimi Hendrix fan.
Paul Doherty (May 2017)
In 1973 I was a young Australian living in Horsmonden, Kent. One day, with an English friend, we went to the Kicking Donkey Inn in Burwash. As we walked through the front door, we saw Roger Daltrey playing darts with the locals, wearing a leather fringed jacket. Pete Townsend was sitting at the bar, having a drink and Keith Moon bought some bottles of champagne and sprayed them around the room. He pulled out a wad of pound notes from his back pocket and said “This should cover it guv”. Once that was paid for Roger’s wife, Heather Taylor, came through the door and said with a heavy American accent, “Hey Roger! You ready?” They all left after that.
Jim Aston (January 2019)
Years before this became a pub it was a butchers with it's slaughterhouse behind. Working in the hopgardens opposite many years ago I used to come across bits of animal bonesand was told this came from the rubbish from the slaughterhouse which was spread as fertiliser and called "shoddy". Anna and Nelson who were it's last landlords came from the Cherry tree in Ticehurst around 1964 or 65. Nelson used to play an organ set up in the pub some evenings. Used to be a very popular pub, surprising considering its way out position and especially as this was in the days before gastro pubs. Might get some chips or a sandwich there but that's about all.
Loic Flory (May 2020)
I used to go to the Kicking Donkey with my late father when I used to play the organs at various pubs and clubs in Kent and Sussex. We would nip into the Kicking Donkey as it was always lively and Nelson would let me play a few songs on the Hammond A100. Some of the locals wanted me to go on Opportunity Knocks - that shows how long ago it was! I didn’t know that it had shut as a pub until I stumbled across this site in December 2021. Best wishes to all that knew the place.
Mike (December 2021)
I stayed during at the Kicking Donkey in summer 1976 over a period of 3 months. It still nearly 50 years later holds fond memories. The breakfast – to die for with mushrooms picked from the fields. The tremendous music and atmosphere. I also have vague recollections of a serious malt whiskey tasting session one night with a shot of polish pure spirit to “cleanse the palette” after each six samples (well, at least, I think I do) though to be fair I was have a lot of trouble remembering who I was and where !!! What a pub, they don’t make them like that any more.
John Mogg (April 2022)
I used to go here all the time as a kid in the late 80's. My dad played here regularly with Hard Lines, a local Jazz band. Lots of fond memories.
John Sinclair (August 2024).
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Name	Dates	Comments
David Hendry	1959	In about 1959 I was given, by my uncle David Inches, a 1929 Chrysler which had lain for some years behind this pub. My uncle had acquired this car several years before. A group of friends from Portsmouth took me to Burwash to rescue, the car which was always called Miranda. Is  is  there  anyone  around  the  pub  who remembers  the  car  being  there?
Gary Coombs	1990	I once won a fun run they used to host there and Roger Daltry gave out the cup. I never got a picture of it and always wondered if anyone had one or if one existed?
Rolf Sendt	1980s	I used to play the clarinet and the alto sax in the german jazzband The New Savoy Jazzmen. We had two hot nights in this pub which i will never forget in the late 1980s. The Kicking Donkey was a truly gorgeous pub. A shame it has been turned into a cottage.
Bob Godfrey	1973-1980	Very enjoyable evenings at this Pub. Anna and Nelson were great publicans, and organized summer evenings with tug of war, greasy pole climbs and other events. Nelson played the organ at weekends

Other Photos
Picture source: John Sinclair
Date of photo: 1976	Picture source: Bob Sweet