The Sheffield Arms, an old Coaching Inn
Have you ever wondered why old hand continue to refer to Trading Boundaries as The Sheffield Arms? We ll, the answer lies in a really lovely little book which has been written by Angela Wigglesworth, who lived just up the road from The Arms, as the locals used to call it.
The owners of Trading Boundaries, Michael Clifford and Tracy Thomson, gave a splendid Launch Party for the book, which tells the history of this 200 year-old coaching inn. It was great to see so many old friends there who had stories to tell about the life of the Inn. Jenny Ross, Trading Boundaries’ PR & Marketing Manager, took some lovely photographs at the Launch, which unfortunately we are not able to reproduce here.
One man who was sadly missed was our own dear Roy Lingham, who farmed at Vigoes, next door to the Inn. Roy’s son and daughter were there, with their spouses, and they had many happy memories. Roy had a tale or two to tell which Angela has repeated in her book and some of them are also in Roy’s own book, Roy’s rambles around Fletching, published in 2017, a few years before his death in January this year at the age of 98. Angela’s book is dedicated to Roy’s memory.
The Sheffield Arms has seen many changes and many different landlords over the years, but Michael and Tracy, who bought it in 1998, have lovingly restored the old building. They both spoke about their vision for the future. As well as continuing to sell Indian furniture and do wedding and music evenings, they have plans to convert the little courtyard shops into a Boutique Coaching Inn.
During the Book Launch, Angela was interviewed by David Arscott, the well-known local author of many books on Sussex, and together they reminisced (with a little help from some of the audience) on the history of the Inn. Angela Wigglesworth’s book is entitled The Sheffield Arms: The Life of a 200-year-old Sussex Coaching Inn the Home of Trading Boundaries and can be found in most bookshops. Copies will also be available at Trading Boundaries. I can confirm it is a jolly good read and includes many wonderful anecdotes and photographs.
Mary Butterfield