Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Old pub now luxury homes
The old pub sign may still sway in the wind but time has long been called at a historic village inn.
Now, the Anchor Inn at Littlebourne, near Canterbury, has been converted into two stunning character homes and put on the market for sale.
The building dates back to the 16th century and is Grade Ii-listed. but ceased trading as a pub in 2017.
Parish councillor Mick Giles said: “Nobody likes to lose a village pub but it seems it just wasn’t viable and you can’t force someone to take it on. “The place had been boarded up for a while and become a bit of an eyesore, but it looks like they’ve made a decent job of it.” The properties, priced at £475,000 and £575,000, stand at the junction of The Green and the High Street and are being marketed through agents Strutt and Parker, which describes them as “spectacular” conversions.
The developer has incorporated many of the pub’s period features and, in a nod to its heritage, retained the hanging sign. It is not known when the premises became an inn but, according to archives, the first recorded landlord was Thomas Spiker in 1828.
It was also used as a coroner’s court, with recorded hearings including the ‘death by burning’ in 1861 of four-year-old George Fisher in the village, whose nightgown caught light as he stood by an open fire. Described by the agent as “typical Kentish chocolate box homes”, the new houses are said to be steeped in character and tastefully renovated, keeping all original features.
The larger four-bed home has a large lounge/dining area with open fireplace, exposed brick walls and original bay windows. The two-bed home has two lounges, a basement and a further room in the loft.
Both homes have courtyard gardens and parking at the back. There is also planning permission for a further two homes to be built on what was the pub car park.