A pair of historic high street pubs - including one which closed 10 years ago - have been sold at auction for a combined £443,000.
The Globe Inn, in Hythe and The Royal Oak in Charing, near Ashford, went under the hammer with Clive Emson this week.
Both sites have been snapped up by new owners and punters now eagerly await to find out what is to become of the closed units.
The Globe Inn closed its doors in February last year, whereas The Royal Oak called last orders a decade ago.
Last month, the price of The Globe Inn was reduced from £325,000 to £275,000 after it was first put on the market in August 2023.
It sold with Clive Emson on Wednesday for £243,000.
The pub has a courtyard garden and owners’ accommodation and has all the necessary elements a hostelry needs, including a kitchen.
Auctioneer Kevin Gilbert said: “This is a pub many in the town will know.
“It is situated at the western end of the high street close to a large car park.
“Clearly it would suit someone who wants to run their own pub, but the new owner might have other ideas.
“It has good footfall and we had a lot of bids which was reflected in the hammer price that was well above the guide of £190,000-plus.”
The Royal Oak is a Grade II-listed building in Charing High Street and sold at the same auction for £200,000.
It has been described as sitting “in the heart of the popular village” and could either be “developed” or “run as a pub or restaurant”.
Chris Milne, auction appraiser, said: “Many in the village will know the pub and we had a great deal of interest.
“It will be interesting to see what happens to it now it is under new ownership.”
The Royal Oak opened in 1878, but by 2009 it had dropped the royal connection and later operated under the name of ‘The Oak’.
It shut in 2014 and two years later villagers fought an application submitted by Costa Coffee to convert the pub into a branch.
The Globe Inn previously traded seven days a week with the benefit of a late licence on Friday and Saturday to 1.30am and live music.
Punters often enjoyed live music and events on Saturday nights and expressed their sadness at the closure last year.
One said: "This is so sad. It's the only place in Hythe that had live bands."
Another said: "Another pub closing. It seems the great British pub culture is going to be a thing of the past. Such a shame."
It also won the Shepherd Neame ‘Beer Hero’ prize in 2016.
