For centuries The Dirty Habit pub has stood as a cherished oasis for weary travellers and locals alike – but today the fire-ravaged building stands as a bleak monument to good times past.

Can the much-loved Hollingbourne pub rise from the ashes, after the devastating blaze on Sunday night?

If it does it won’t be the first time, and perhaps all those who love the Dirty Habit can take solace from an ancient footnote in the pub’s history – when much of the village was reduced to rubble by an earthquake.

While the current building dates back to the early 18th Century, an inn is thought to have stood on the site under the guise of Ye Olde Pilgrim’s Rest’e for centuries before, as far back as the 11th Century.

Standing on the ancient Pilgrim’s Way – still followed by long-distance walkers to this day – the pub is thought to have originated as a ‘monk’s ale and cider house’, and would have been a resting place for pilgrims making their way to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral.

It would also have been standing at the same time Geoffrey Chaucer was writing his Canterbury Tales, whose fictional pilgrims – along with the real ones that inspired them – would have passed Ye Olde Pilgrim’s Rest’e as they staggered on to their final destination.

In fact, with Hollingbourne located at the edge of the last leg of their journey, Ye Olde Pilgrim’s Rest’e could have been the place for a few extra ales to celebrate the imminent end of the journey, and those pilgrims might have staggered a bit more over the last 20 miles. Those weary legs would have wobbled even more in 1382 – just a few years before Chaucer is thought to have put pen to paper on his masterpiece – when Hollingbourne was rocked by a huge earthquake, originating somewhere under the Dover Straits.

Holinshed’s Chronicles of England recounts: “The one and 20th day of May was a great earthquake in England at nine of the clock, fearing the hearts of many, but in Kent it was most vehement where it suncke some churches and threw them down to the earth.”

Described as a "deep rumble from within the earth", the 1382 quake damaged buildings around Kent, including the bell tower at Canterbury Cathedral, but seems to have caused particular damage to Hollingbourne – causing “grave ruin” to All Saints Church, along with the manor house and surrounding properties, including it seems the pub.

Researcher Paul Skelton, of the Dover Kent Archives, says the pub was rebuilt in the 14th century on the old foundations, and damage from the earthquake seems the most likely cause.

And so the pub survived, serving thirsty pilgrims for centuries, until it was rebuilt again a little over 340 years later and re-named the King’s Head, when George II came to the throne in 1727.

Historic England’s file on the Grade-II listed building backs up that account, recording it as an early 18th Century Inn, consisting of a two-storey building, built of chequered red and grey brick.

One of those bricks, by the central door, is recorded as being initialled and dated 1726 – supporting the idea the pub was built at the time of King George’s accession.

It stayed as the King’s Head until 1975 when the then owner changed the name to the Pilgrim’s Rest to recognise its ancient roots, but the name was changed to the Dirty Habit in the early 1990s.

Perhaps that name raised some eyebrows among a few devout pilgrims, because the pub reverted back to the Pilgrim’s Rest, until being changed to the Dirty Habit again in 2009 – this time being given holy blessing of sorts when a launch party was attended by a Benedictine brother from Ampleforth Abbey in Yorkshire.

A year later it was taken on by Elite Pubs, and has since become a pilgrimage destination in its own right, drawing devotees from around the county and beyond with its reputation for great food.

Historian Steve Salter hopes that reputation will help the Dirty Habit bounce back, because just like in 1382, the pub is a much needed and valued asset.

“It’s one of the county’s oldest inns,” he said. “I’ve been there before and it was beautiful – the food is out of this world.”

Nevertheless he says he was devastated to see the damage, having travelled over to witness it first hand after hearing news of the fire.

“The main part of the building has been extensively destroyed,” he added. “I was quite horrified when I saw how much damage had been caused. It’s a bit of a tragedy.

“I think it was the speed of the fire that spread through the building – a building of that age would be tinder dry so it sweeps through there.”

He said he had been reassured after reading Elite Pubs statement that they were committed to restoring the building back to its former glory.

“They would have to use specific materials to restore the original structure as much as possible,” he added.

“It’s built in the traditional style with a Kent peg roof and it’s a prominent part of Hollingbourne.

“I just hope there’s no demolition involved. That inn has long been at the heart of the village, and as in a lot of villages, the inn is the main hub – the beating heart of village life.

“The fact the pub offered such a good experience with food and had a great atmosphere makes it even better. We need to keep the old pubs alive to keep that history.

“I think Elite Pubs are a relatively small company and I think it would be fair to say they’ve got the correct approach.”

Which means the future looks to be in good hands, with the company stating they will bounce back stronger than ever.

For now the pub stands empty – and devotees will have to leave it to the ghosts of yesteryear to prop up the bar, telling tales of epic pilgrimages, good times, and disastrous fires and earthquakes, of the last 1,000 years.

Hopefully the bar will remain as a place to tell another 1,000 years worth of stories to come.