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The Jolly Sportsman
The Jolly Sportsman
Canopy for celebration
Canopy for celebration
Banqueting
Banqueting
Beneath the sunshine
Beneath the sunshine
Long table
Long table
Oysters
Oysters
Garden Room
Garden Room
Garden Room
Garden Room
Bedroom
Bedroom
Supplier Decorations
Supplier Decorations
Garden Room
Garden Room
Garden Room
Garden Room
The Jolly sportsman Ariel View
The Jolly sportsman Ariel View
Restaurant
Restaurant
Celeriac Risotto
Celeriac Risotto
The Jolly Sportsman Ariel View
The Jolly Sportsman Ariel View
Garden Patio
Garden Patio
Banqueting
Banqueting
Garden Bar
Garden Bar
East Chiltington Church
East Chiltington Church
Church to Jolly 5 min walk
Church to Jolly 5 min walk
Dance Floor
Dance Floor
Christmas Time
Christmas Time
Welcome
Welcome
Welcome drinks & canapés
Welcome drinks & canapés
Getting ready in guest rooms
Getting ready in guest rooms
Groom
Groom
Dance Floor
Dance Floor
Garden Room
Garden Room
Cutting the cake
Cutting the cake
Garden drinks and canapés
Garden drinks and canapés
Toasts!
Toasts!
Table deco
Table deco
Floristy
Floristy
All together!
All together!
Arriving at The Jolly
Arriving at The Jolly
Enjoying the garden
Enjoying the garden
All together
All together
On the dance floor
On the dance floor
Decor
Decor
First dance
First dance
Arriving to the Jolly
Arriving to the Jolly
Getting ready upstairs
Getting ready upstairs
All together
All together
Rings and flowers
Rings and flowers
Floristy
Floristy
Floristry
Floristry

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Garden Bar
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About

On Hitched.co.uk since 2023

Last update: October 2024

Celebrate your special day in the charming and picturesque setting of The Jolly Sportsman Pub, nestled in the heart of East Chiltington at the foot of the South Downs. Our beautiful venue combines rustic charm with modern amenities to create the perfect backdrop for your wedding festivities. We can also cater for gorgeous initimate weddings with non exclusive hire of a maximum of 40 people.

Welcome your nearest & dearest to our colourful gardens, stylish garden bar, surrounded by lushious greenery and the tranquil ambiance of the countryside. The Jolly Sportsman offers a warm and inviting atmosphere, making it an ideal location for either an intimate or a grand celebration with family and friends.

Treat your guests to a delightful reception in our stylish and versatile event spaces. Our experienced team will be dedicated to ensuring your every need. We offer many different package styles & can assist in making your dream a reality.

Our cooking philosophy is one of classical techniques, married with local, seasonal produce, creating a low carbon foot print. We have a daily delivery of fresh fish caught off the Sussex coast, and all our meat is sourced from local butchers and farms within a 25 mile radius. We can cater to any dietary requirment or special request. We are surrounded by vineyards offering the best of English still and sparkling wines.

For those looking to make the most of their special day, we also offer comfortable accommodation for you and your guests. Our four cosy bedrooms provide a convenient and relaxing place for your loved ones to unwind after the festivities.

With a commitment to excellence and a touch of the whimsical, The Jolly Sportsman is a hidden gem and the perfect choice for a wedding that will be remembered for a lifetime.

Contact us to start planning your wedding in the enchanting surroundings of Sussex.

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Contact The Jolly Sportsman and their preferred suppliers

  • The Jolly Sportsman
  • Hayley Rose Photography
  • Tents n Events
  • Blossom and Bee Floristry

Frequently asked questions

Venue type:

In the country
Small hotel
Pub or restaurant
Unusual weddings
Marquees and tents
Woodland and festival
Unique weddings

Dining options:

Seated meal facilities
Alcohol licence
Buffet meal facilities
In-house catering

Evening entertainment:

Dance floor
Entertainment licence
Live band facilities
Evening reception facilities
DJ facilities

Overnight accommodation:

Overnight accommodation for wedding couple
Overnight accommodation for guests

Venue staff assistance:

Wedding coordinator

Other features:

Exclusive use
Accessible facilities
Car parking
Confetti permitted
Pet-friendly
Orangery on site
illustration notebook

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Reviews for The Jolly Sportsman

We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to make your big decisions easier.
5.0 out of 5 rating
5.0 out of 5 rating
6 reviews
99% recommend it
Write a review
  • Quality of the service
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Response time
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Value for money
    4.8 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    5 out of 5 rating
Write a review
The Jolly Sportsman - 1
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The Jolly Sportsman - 3
+19 User photos
The Jolly Sportsman - 4
Callum
Callum T. Sent on 14/09/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Perfect for a wedding

We had our wedding meal here in the summer of 2024 and it was absolutely perfect. Chrissie and the team are delightful and couldn’t be more helpful. For my money the Jolly Sportsman is the best gastropub in Sussex. Nothing beats it for quality of food, wine list (plus the ales), gorgeous setting and service. Everyone left happy and singing the Jolly Sportsman’s praises, even the Greek in-laws who are generally very skeptical about British food and hard to please. Recommend recommend recommend.
Charlotte
Charlotte R. Sent on 10/02/2024
4.8 out of 5 rating

Beautiful venue, amazing food!

We held our wedding reception at ‘The Jolly’ at the end of September and it was just the perfect day for us. The setting is stunning, and the food was amazing. We received so many compliments on the quality of the dishes and how attentive the staff were throughout.

The weather was touch and go, but Rob, Chrissie, and the team were really flexible and accommodating so we could thoroughly enjoy our day.

We stayed there the night before and the night of our wedding day. The rooms were bright, modern and clean with lovely views of the South Downs.

Highly recommend, you won’t be disappointed! Thanks again to all the team.
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Emily
Emily S. Sent on 14/01/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Perfect intimate wedding venue

The team at the Jolly Sportsman went above and beyond to make sure our day was perfect. We had a small wedding reception lunch (13 people) in the pub's garden room, with drinks and canapés in the garden beforehand. The team was extremely flexible in meeting our requests and expectations. They were very communicative and made us feel confident that our wedding day was in good hands. The food was delicious and the team worked with us to create our perfect menu. My husband and I stayed in one of the four guest rooms during our wedding weekend; the rooms are very comfortable, spacious, well equipped, and well presented. The Jolly Sportsman itself is set in the East Sussex countryside; the surrounding rural area is beautiful and romantic, yet is within close driving distance to Lewes and Brighton. In particular we would like to thank Chrissie and Rob for making our day perfect! We would highly recommend the Jolly Sportsman for your wedding or special event.
G
Georgina D. Sent on 30/08/2024
5 out of 5 rating

A wedding venue to remember!

From our first email to the day of, Chrissie and the team at Jolly Sportsman were incredibly helpful, flexible and attentive - making my wedding day a breeze. Knowing we were planning the wedding from Australia, Chrissie was incredibly patient with my many many emails/questions :) The service, food and venue made our day so special - we couldn't have picked a better place to celebrate the day! All our guests had nothing but positive words to say about the venue. Honestly, THANK YOU!
  • The Jolly Sportsman - 8
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D
D&S Sent on 05/01/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Intimate County Pub Reception

We had our wedding reception at the Jolly Sportsman is June 2023 and cannot recommend this venue enough. All our guests commented on the incredible food, service and the stunning garden which we enjoyed all day. We had an intimate wedding with under 50 guests and were still able to privately hire the entire venue.

The highlight for us was the flexibility the Jolly offered. We really didn't want a "package" wedding where the venue dictated the times and what we could do (losing the personal touch) - which the Jolly were really on board with. When we first met with Chrissie (who was amazing throughout) she stressed that the day was ours to choose what we did - which was a breath of fresh air after viewing other venues. Chrissie actioned all our plans, and followed through with everything we asked for making the day perfect. Without a formal wedding coordinator, there is always a concern the bride or groom may end up managing things on the day - this was not the case at all and we both felt like guests at the wedding with attentive service and no element of "hosting" involved.

The pub also has 4 boutique rooms which was great for us as the bride and groom to stay in, as well as family, with an amazing breakfast the wedding morning and next day.

The whole experience with the Jolly Sportsman was faultless from start to finish and I couldn't think of a better place to recommend for a wedding reception if you like excellent food, attentive staff and a stunning location.
  • The Jolly Sportsman - 11
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    The Jolly Sportsman - 13
L
Lizzie R. Sent on 05/01/2024
5 out of 5 rating

L Richards

The team at the Jolly were really warm, welcoming and accommodating. It really felt like they wanted to make our day as special as they could. The food was delicious, with a special mention to the canapés that were both beautiful and so tasty! It was really nice to have the rooms upstairs for close family to stay. We had a really magical day.
  • The Jolly Sportsman - 14
  • The Jolly Sportsman - 15
  • +3 Photos
    The Jolly Sportsman - 16
illustration stars

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Deals

Discount
10% off Exclusive Weddings Oct - Mar
Expires on 31/03/2025
Discount
Discounted non exclusive weddings Oct - Mar
Expires on 31/03/2025

Preferred suppliers

Hayley Rose Photography
Hayley Rose Photography
Photographers
Tents n Events
Tents n Events
5.0 out of 5 rating , 2 reviews
· Marquee & Tipi Hire
Blossom and Bee Floristry
Blossom and Bee Floristry
Florists

Map

Location of(The Jolly Sportsman) Open map
The Jolly Sportsman, Chapel Lane, East Chiltington bn7 3ba Lewes (East Sussex)
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