Midhurst Vat

Angel Hotel, North Street, Midhurst.

Blower J. P. Ogilvie.

Midhurst Vat 3

Originally a 17th century Coaching Inn, the hotel is dripping with a rich history. Famous visitors from HG Wells to Hilaire Belloc, King George V and Guy Fawkes have stayed there. The hotel was the main posting inn for mail coaches arriving in Midhurst, where the seaward bound pilgrim fathers stopped prior to their epic journey to America.

H. G. Wells the world famous novelist and political thinker had boyhood links with Midhurst. Midhurst is the background of several of Wells’ short stories. It appears as Sussexville in Mr.Marshall’s Doppelganger, The Plattner Story and The Man Who Could Work Miracles. Holmwood in The Apple is probably Midhurst.

The hotel’s function suite in the 18th century was the Midhurst Magistrates Court and still contains the wooden fireplace and secret compartments in which the judge concealed the bottle of grog that got him through the day

At one time there was an Angel Steam Brewery behind the hotel where mild beer was selling at 9d a gallon with stout at 1s 6d a gallon.

Today the Angel hotel is a smart 3 star hotel with an award winning restaurant overlooking Cowdray Castle.