The Red Lion in Chelwood Gate, East Sussex
In the beginning of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the 1981 BBC televison series, Ford Prefect and Arthur Dent go to the Red Lion pub for several quick drinks before the end of the world.
While they are drinking, Ford looks out the window of the pub.
The camera then pans up to the sky.
Both the interior and exterior scenes were filmed at The Red Lion in the small village of Chelwood Gate, East Sussex. This is a 19th century pub which is 10 kilometers north-east of Haywards Heath, or 50 kms south of London.
Ford looked out of the lower window. The shutters on the upstairs windows are gone, but the windows are clearly recognisable.
The interior of the pub has been extensively renovated into a more open plan layout.
The outside has also changed. There used to be another chimney on the north side of the main building, but that is gone too.
After the drinks, Arthur and Ford run back to Arthur’s house, which was filmed in Balcombe, almost 9 kilometers west of The Red Lion.