As you can see from the image above, the establishment has undergone a few name changes. Currently, it is The Toad in the Hole.

Previous names include The Castle Hotel, O'Connor's, The Tap and Tankard, and The Castle Alehouse.

Built in the mid to late 1800's it would have been an imposing building on the road down from Broadwater to Worthing, a classic ploy to build a pub where the traffic goes.

We don't know if it was originally built with the castellations above the windows on the second floor, but given its early name, it does imply so.

Yes, that's Norman Wisdom, for those old enough to remember. I think he was there at an event where the customers built a column of coins over some time, and a local celebrity comes in and knocks them down, for charity.

The Castle Inn was also known as the headquarters of the infamous Worthing Bonfire Boys from 1880.

The most well-known landlord was Ray Johnson, who was there for 12 years until he retired in 2015. He was a laid-back character with a sense of humour, and would tease new visitors with his tray of chili sauces and dare them to try them. There is a YouTube interview with him when he retired.

So, why the Toad in the Hole name? It is a traditional British pub game consisting of a lead-covered table with a hole in the middle. The idea is to throw toads (metal coin-like discs) to score, one point for landing on the table and two for going in the hole. There is a little more to it, but that's the general idea.

The Toad in the Hole is owned by the Handbrew company, a brewery based in Worthing. They specialise in craft beer, using traditional brewing methods but a diverse range of ingredients and flavours. The pub also has guest beers.

They also hold events, art shows, music, craft days as well as a visiting catering vendor at certain times.

Although the pub is small by today's standards and rests close to a major road junction and parking is . . . awkward, it's proved itself to be popular, possibly due to its diversity. It's no longer a classic pub, but moved with the times. It closed in 2015 for a time when Ray Johnson retired, and we feared it was lost, but thankfully, it rose from the ashes.

1871 - Stephen Slaughter
1891 - Charles Cheale
1892 - Harry Peters
????- Alfred Peters (died 1929)
1926 - ET Cobby
1998 - 2001 Paula & Jonathan Sherlock.
1900's Terry 'The Bow Tie'
1901 - Minnie Peters
1965 - licence transfer to F M Quin from R A Patten
2000 - Colin & Karen Battrick (Tap & Tankard)
2004 - 2015 Ray Johnson
2022 - HandBrew Co

It was used briefly in an episode of the short-lived TV police drama 'Cuffs'