One of Sussex's most cherished village pubs, The White Horse Inn, has officially entered liquidation, bringing a sad end to a local hub of community life for decades. The pub at the heart of Hurstpierpoint has stood for generations.

Records and local heritage information suggest that parts of the building date back to 1591, making it one of the village's oldest surviving inns. It originally stood on the old LondontoBrighton coaching route and acquired its first official public house licence in 1816, becoming a wellknown stopping point for travellers approaching the South Downs.

But now, according to The Gazette, a petition to wind up The White Horse Inn Hurst Ltd, the company behind the beloved Hurstpierpoint pub, was filed on January 15 by creditor Lombard North Central Plc. The case is set to be heard at the High Court in London on March 4.

The petition, submitted through solicitor Sarah Hancock of Solaris Law Ltd, claims that the company owes money to the creditor.

The inn, located on Albourne Road, first closed its doors in June 2025 without disclosing the reason.

Reacting to the closure, a Facebook user commented: "Oh no I'm gutted!!! Our fav pub."

Another said: "A spit and sawdust pub that has stood there for decades, once the heart of the village and community, turned into something it's not and now closed!

"A sad day for Hurstpierpoint , never thought I'd see it... was always a proper pub and should have been left as one."