REMEMBER WHEN? Some sites have hardly ever changed

THE KENTISH EXPRESS MEMORIES PAGE

While the town of Ashford is renowned for being one of the key development towns in this part of Kent, that said there are many sites in and around town that have either not changed at all or they have previously been occupied and then lay derelict at the end of their occupation.

Some sites have often become derelict and abandoned.

Those occupied by longforgotten buildings are often havens for vandalism and also urban exploration. Take the former Liquid Nightclub in East Hill, owned by Ashford School and now crying out to be loved after being abandoned for a number of years.

The vandals have already been at work at the former bustling and thriving nightspot.

Other smaller and insignificant sites and premises have disappeared without trace or changed beyond recognition either after refurbishment or transformation.

One such place that has seen little change over the decades is Canterbury Road, Ashford, between Holiday Inn and North Street.

The only real major change in the arterial road occurred in 1971 when the road was widened.

The brook and culvert under the road near Cemetery Lane was rerouted after the bottleneck that was this section of road was widened.

Since that time the former Bybrook Barn became Harvester Restaurant, the Courage-owned Bybrook Tavern became Trusthouse Forte Post House (latterly Holiday Inn) and the former and popular Houchin Social Club burned to the ground with the site never to be reused.

The former social club site was one of the one-time early choices for the high speed rail link until the current route was chosen.

A couple of years back the Mitchells & Butlers-owned restaurant brand Miller and Carter was supposed to have been building a new restaurant on the former social club site until the plans fell through.

We have yet to see if recent purchaser Aldi’s plans for the site come to fruition.

This week’s Remember

When looks back at the adjacent sites in 1957 and 1990 respectively.

■ Do you have any photographs or slides of old Ashford you would be willing to loan me to enable them to be scanned for a possible feature?

Please don’t delay, feel free to get in touch.

Write to me: Steve Salter, Kentish Express Remember When, Unit 4, Park Mall, Ashford, Kent, TN24 8RY.

Email me: rememberwhen_ kmash@hotmail.co.uk

1 1990 - The former Houchin Sports and Social Club in Canterbury Road, Ashford, that ended its life with a massive blaze that destroyed the once-familiar club

1990 - An aerial view illustrating the former Houchin Social Club (left) adjacent to the former Bybrook Tavern site (right) which by this time is operating as a Trusthouse Forte Post House unit (latterly Holiday Inn)

1957 - The former Bybrook Tavern when operated by brewer Courage and Barclay. In 1983, the former pub became The Post House Hotel owned by Trusthouse Forte (THF)

Photo: Steve Salter A view of shops and shoppers in Middle Row, Ashford