Horsham pub ‘gutted’ to lose horse chestnut tree
A Horsham pub is having its horse chestnut tree taken down after receiving advice from the council.
The Dog & Bacon, on North Parade, said it would replace the tree and was staying open while the work took place.
Kathryn and Phil Farrelly – who run the Dog & Bacon – told the West Sussex County Times: “We will be replacing the tree with another one in the next couple of weeks and our garden lights will be put back up as soon as we possibly can.”
The North Parade pub announced the removal on Facebook, saying it had followed advice from the council.
“Sadly we have to say goodbye to our lovely Horse Chestnut tree,” the pub wrote.
It thanked customers for their understanding and said it was still open for business while the work took place.
Photographs shared by the pub showed a worker up the trunk and machinery beside a pile of cut branches. Red and white tape cordoned off part of the paved garden, where rows of wooden picnic tables stood near the tree.
The post prompted people to share memories of gathering conkers. One commenter who worked at the pub as a cellar boy in the early 1980s remembered collecting ‘pockets full of conkers’. They said it was a shame to see the tree go but understood why it would have to come down if it posed a danger.
Another commenter recalled gathering conkers as a child when their father was the landlord. He would let them collect conkers from the tree and take them to school. The pub told another commenter it was ‘gutted’ to lose the tree.
Meanwhile, The Farrellys announced on October 23 that they had signed a three-year contract extension with Red Oak Taverns and would continue running the pub until June 2032.
In a Facebook post, they said the extension came two years after the pub reopened following a refurbishment. They thanked their team and customers for their support and Red Oak Taverns for its backing.
“We love the pub so much, it is an honour to continue,” Kathryn and Phil wrote.
The Dog & Bacon had a major refurb in October 2024 and is now described in its website as a ‘welcoming, family friendly pub in the heart of Horsham’. Find out more at: https://thedogandbacon.co.uk/