At 4 The Hornet is The Eastgate whose sign depicts the long-gone Eastgate of the City. It was originally a location for brewing by Stephen Woolbridge from around 1811 to his death in 1849, then by his wife Martha (recorded as malster in 1855) aided by her son Stephen who took over till 1858.

Then the business came into the hands of John Goldring & Co with the premises being recorded as the Eastgate Brewery. Following the death of John Goldring his executors sold goods and stock from the Eastgate Brewery and Spirit Stores in 1874. It was then run as a wine and grocery store by George Phillips before being associated with Gales of Horndean.

In 1908 the Children’s Act was enacted to protect the poorest children in society from abuse. It also included a provision to prevent children from entering public houses. To comply with the Act Gale and Co, by then the brewers, made alterations including the widening of the existing doorway and the provision of a bottle and jug department. James Montgomery Smith was licensee at the time and remained in that post for 26 years being the oldest established licensed victualler in Chichester when he died in 1932.

One of his sons, Victor Smith, who lived in the Eastgate Brewery and who predeceased him in 1925, was the leader of ‘Vic Smith’s’ dance orchestra which was popular throughout the County. It had the reputation of being a very ‘live’ jazz combination and Vic’s energetic work on the drums and cheery outbursts into song contributed materially to this.

Like many pubs, the Eastgate ran a slate club whereby its customers save money in a common fund; for example in 1913 they held their annual supper and concert and helped several members who were on the sick list during the year and agreed that a share-out of £1 each ‘very satisfactory’.

The land on which the property stands was formerly leasehold with a 1000-year term from 1665 but as later no lease originals or certified copies could be found it became possible for ownership of the freehold to be registered. Thus in 1946 the freehold of the property (and that of the neighbouring Voke’s Tea Room) were sold off at auction by a group of owners (Leslie Cecil Halsted and others) to George Gale and Co. Fullers, the current owners, acquired Gales in 2005 and had the freehold registered to them in 2008. The building was Grade II listed in 1971.