An update on the local pub scene, in West Kent (and beyond)

Blogging has taken a bit of a back seat for a while, as I deal with the seemingly complex issues regarding my future financial position. These seem to revolve around Pension Consolidation and Pension Drawdown. Having now done much of the groundwork, there does now seem to be some light at the end of the tunnel, so with any luck I shall soon be able to set a firm date for my retirement.

In tandem with this I’ve been sorting out various areas of both house and garden, with the aim of making life easier, post-retirement. So, I’ve been sorting out various unwanted kitchen gadgets, tools and garden stuff (enough plastic flowerpots to start our own garden centre). There’s also the now, thankfully shrinking, mountain of household paperwork that I’ve slowly been feeding into the large, office-sized, shredder that we’ve got at work.

Clothes are another target area destined for the charity shop, although the main clear-out, especially of “office-type” outfits will have to wait until I retire. The garden is also in line for a makeover, as I gradually convert our “little oasis of green” to the most low-maintenance plot I can come up with, although here it’s going to be a case of “no pain, no gain.”  Basically, I'm looking for a garden that almost looks after itself, so that I don't have to!

However, I haven’t given up completely on beer and pubs, and locally, there’s quite a lot going on at the moment, and we kick off with the Cross Keys. The latter is a large pub, in a prominent position on the edge of Southborough, that has stood empty for over a year, but after being acquired by new owners, is undergoing a refit plus a good spruce up.  The pub is due to reopen following refurbishment with a "fresh identity" and will trade as the Boundary Bar & Grill. This will be under the ownership of two experienced business partners, one of whom also runs the Imperial, (also in Southborough).

Moving a little further along the A26, we come to the former Shuffle House, in the St John’s area of Tunbridge Wells. The pub has been renamed as the Duck & Goose, but back in its Shuffle House guise, it acted as the venue for my firm’s Christmas party. The shuffle tables remain as a feature of the Duck & Goose, and from the photos on the pub’s website, the interior appears as little changed, so why the change of name? 

I also came across shuffle tables at the Mola Bar in the Norwegian town of Alesund, which we visited back in March, when the settlement was the first port of call on the cruise that took us beyond the Arctic Circle. Shuffleboards take up a lot of space, but can provide a spot of measures excitement, providing there’s sufficient room in the pub, or bar.

Moving on to a slightly more rural location, we come to the Fleur de Lys, in the centre of Leigh, a former estate village between Hildenborough and Chiddingstone. The Fleur has been undergoing a major refit for the past nine months or more, and with progress remaining painfully slow, there are still no signs yet of a definitive opening date. The Fleur is reportedly owned by a wealthy, crypto-currency trader, who bought and restored the nearby Hall Place, a grade II -listed, 19^th century, stately pile, complete with its own well laid out and extensive grounds. 

The story I picked up on locally (don’t forget I work in the neighbouring village of Chiddingstone Causeway), was that the monied new owner of Hale Place also bought the pub, because he thought it important that a village like Leigh, should have its own pub. A philosophy I’m sure many people would agree with, so why the delay in re-opening the Fleur?

Heading out towards Sussex now, in a south-westerly direction, we come to the Brown Trout, sited close to the village of Lamberhurst, and close to Bewl Water. The latter is a large reservoir which opened back in the 1970's.  Following a period of closure, during which the pub was extensively refurbished by our old friends, Stonegate Inns, we find the pub-co seeking a new licensee to run it. This means there are hopes of the pub reopening soon. The Brown Trout is a pub that I’ve only been in a couple of times, as it’s a little tucked away, so it will be good to call in though, when it does eventually reopen.

Travelling in the more or less opposite direction, brings us to the former Whitbread Hop Farm at Beltring, where a converted, former oast house, on the edge of the farm, has been bought from former owners, Whitbread, for an undisclosed sum. Still trading under its former name of Brooker’s Oast, this former Beefeater outlet, which had been due to close following the winding up of the steakhouse chain, by owners, Whitbread, remains open for business. The pub is now owned by an outfit called, Queensway Inns, whose other two pubs are located down in Cornwall, making this a slightly strange purchase. As one observer has pointed out, the establishment appears to be operating much as before, so if you want a steakhouse-type meal, this is the place to come.

On the borders between West Kent and Surrey, and standing proudly on Westerham's village green for more than seven centuries, is the Grasshopper on the Green, a remarkable survivor amongst English pubs. Over the course of its long history, the Grasshopper has seen 31 monarchs and 74 Prime Ministers come and go and yet the warmth of its welcome remains unchanged. The pub now has new owners, in the guise of Mike & Nicola Vigar, who were loyal customers for 25 years before taking over the reins. Compared to the grandeur of Westerham’s other two pubs, the Kings Head and the George & Dragon, the much smaller Grasshopper, is cosier and much more people sized, making it the establishment that gets my vote as the “best in Westerham.”

This brings us to the penultimate pub in the area, facing a new future, which is the former Spread Eagle, in the Hawkenbury area of Tunbridge Wells.  Until recently, the site of the pub had been earmarked for redevelopment, but in a turn up for the books, this attractive looking pub has now been listed by Stonegate, as available for a fixed term tenancy with food-led potential.

The final pub is not actually in the West Kent area, but I couldn’t close this article on re-opening public houses without mentioning the Elephant & Castle in Lewes. Readers may recall me going looking for this pub, on a recent visit to Lewes, only to find it, unexpectedly closed. Now, according to the Brighton Argus, this Harvey’s-tied house is due to reopen at the end of this month, under the stewardship of new landlord Max Aben, with local couple, Liz Temperley and Pat Mundy, running the food offering, under the banner of their already successful, Pat's Pizza operation. Unfortunately, this will necessitate me making what will be my third trip to Lewes this year, although it will allow me to “mop up” a number of other pubs that I’ve missed on recent visits to the East Sussex, county town. It’s a hard life!!