Posting on X, formerly Twitter, at about 7.30pm on Thursday (February 27), West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service said: “We are currently dealing with a significant fire at a pub in Gribble Lane, Oving. Please avoid the area and keep doors and windows closed if you’re nearby.”
The AA reported the road as being closed, leading to delays in Gribble Lane both ways, from Marlpit Lane to High Street.
Half an hour after its initial post, the fire service said the blaze was ongoing with crews ‘working hard to bring it under control’ and urged people to continue to avoid the area.
Shortly after 5.15am on Friday (February 28), the fire service said the blaze was under control – click here for the latest on the incident.
The pub, a 16th-century thatched cottage, was the scene of another major fire in July, 2014, when more than 90 firefighters were called.
1. Gribble Inn fire 2025
Firefighters at the 'significant' blaze at the Gribble Inn in Oving, just east of Chichester, on February 27, 2025 Photo: Eddie Mitchell
2. Gribble Inn 2014 fire
Firefighters at the Gribble Inn, in Oving, following a previous fire in July, 2014 Photo: Eddie Mitchell
3. Gribble Inn 2014 fire
The aftermath of the 2014 fire at the Gribble Inn, Oving Photo: Sussex World