Customers recalls 'good old days' when Ascot Arms was second home

A former pub has been completely demolished to make way for a care home.

The Ascot Arms, in Gravesend, closed four years ago but before that it was a once thriving boozer, according to its regulars.

One punter David Beattie said: “Everyone was friendly. It was like the British version of Cheers. Everyone knew your name in there.

“It was just a friendly local pub. I have a great many friends from drinking in there. You did not need to go with someone, you always knew someone.

“I started going in there when I was in my 20s. I went particularly because it was so close I could roll down the hill to home.

“I cannot think about the amount of money I must have spent in that place in the last 20 or so years.

“I even worked there for six months to a year. I would finish at 3pm on a Sunday and then sit on the other side of the bar.”

He said the pub, in Central Avenue, would regularly host family events, live music, festivals, discos and firework nights.

“In the later years there were animals and a horse in there as well,” David added. “It was a very family-style pub and it did really good food.”

The pub dates back to 1932 when it was called the Central Avenue Hotel and was run by landlord Dan Pryor.

It changed its name to the Ascot Arms in 2001 – although David said the name did not really take with regulars.

The 45-year-old added: “It will be the Central forever for me.

“I even have the original price list. An old manager found it and gave it to me knowing how much I loved the pub.”

The list includes cocktails such as Manhattans, Martini, and an Egg Flip for 8 pence which would be equal to around £2.70 in today’s money.

Beers were also much cheaper with a pint of Truman’s Draught Bitter and Burton costing 4 pence – around £1.35.

A shot of whiskey, gin or rum were also only 8 pence with brandy costing one shilling, around £4.04 now.

The pub also underwent a £250,000 refurbishment in 2015 funded by Star Pubs & Bars, part of the Heineken chain, which saw a new garden centre and a petting zoo.

The landlords at the time, Simone Vincenzi and Mihaly Herczeg, said they hoped it would transform the public house into one the community could be proud of.

The pub has since been boarded up and closed since July 2019.

Plans to demolish the premises and build a three-storey, 62-bed care home were then approved by Gravesham council in July 2022.

The proposals included space for a residents’ lounge and dining areas, a laundry room, staff facilities, space for entertainment and wellbeing and 20 parking spaces.

In their decision report, council officers said: “Whilst the loss of the public house and a community facility is acknowledged, the applicants suggest that whilst it is located to serve the surrounding residential area, it is evident that when previously operational, efforts to continue trading as a viable business failed, notwithstanding a significant refurbishment and favourable rental terms.

“The building as it stands could not be easily re-used or extended for the use as proposed as it would not be adaptable or economic to do so but there may be opportunities in the future to use the new building for local Gravesham Borough Council community uses.

“The development of this site for the use as proposed along with the demolition of the public house building is considered to be appropriate and a sustainable use within the local area.”

The home will provide 24-hour support and care for the elderly with nursing, dementia, end-of-life and palliative services and create 50 full-time jobs.

Care home providers Avery Healthcare – which also has centres in Sittingbourne, Sevenoaks and Herne Bay – said in a design and access statement: “We believe that a low impact use such as a care home is the perfect way to foster the redevelopment of the site in a manner which will enhance its character.”

The demolition of the former Ascot Arms building was completed last weekend.