100 years ago, the pub was known as The Royal Oak, serving bottled beers to the first ten people to come through the door, as this was all the small pub could accommodate. Formerly two cottages, Jim Reynolds purchased the building, extended the bar area and renamed the pub in 1984. Jim, a WWII Halifax pilot and his wife Janet, a school teacher in Poundhill, Crawley, provided the local community with a place to gather and socialise. Jim passed away in 2010, leaving Janet to solely run the premises, with help from the locals, but this all came to an end when Janet sadly passed away towards the end of 2012. Over the next three years, the pub laid empty, with a few offers made to turn the building from a pub, back into the two cottages it was originally. These were declined by Janet’s family and Horsham District Council, much to the joy of the locals. With such a community created over the years, each Christmas Eve everyone would gather together for a Carol Service in a neighbours’ property. On the gathering of 2015, a local couple, known to drink in the pub for over 20 years, announced they had purchased the property, and were set to reopen as a pub in the first half of the year. Since that evening, work began to re-open The Frog and Nightgown once again. The pub has undergone a spot of much needed refurbishment, yet retains the character of ‘The front room pub’ that it was known as by many people in the local, and surrounding areas. Situated just ½ a mile off the A264, the pub has been referred to as ‘one of Horsham’s best kept secrets’. Surrounded by fields, the large pub garden is perfect for relaxing with a cold drink on a sunny afternoon. During the colder months, the traditional ale pub feel, complete with original open fires and chesterfield sofas welcomes you to relax, listen to your favourite record on the radiogram, with your favourite drink. Working closely with local breweries in Sussex, The Frog and Nightgown aims to provide cask ales, specialty draught beers, and a range of different ciders.
