Star Inn, Alfriston, East Sussex
Two men and two boys standing by the entrance to the Star Inn. The inn dates from the 15th century. It was known as 'The Star of Bethlehem' until at least 1520. At that time it was run by the monks of Battle Abbey and offered shelter to friars and pilgrims on their way to the Shrine of St Richard at Chichester. A wooden 'Sanctuary Post' is said to have given fugitives instant church protection. The Post can still be seen in the bar today. At the front of the building stands a lion figurehead, thought to be from a Dutch warship, which sank in the English Channel. It is believed that the lion was washed ashore in Cuckmere Haven and then brought into Alfriston by a gang of well-known local smugglers. The figurehead was restored in 2003 by the local rector and re-positioned on the opposite corner of the hotel. The inn is timber-framed and jettied, with plaster infilling. It is still a hotel today (2011).
