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© Copyright Chris Whippet and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

The Little Gem was situated at 19 High Street.  This was a grade-II listed pub.

I’m pleased to report that, after being closed for ten years, the Little Gem in the Kent village of Aylesford (ME20 7AX) has reopened. The pub, which dates from the 12th century and is said to be the smallest in Kent, is now owned and operated by Goacher’s Brewery who have restored it in keeping with its Grade II-listed status. That means that you still need to mind your head! I recall visiting a few times one the way back from Maidstone Beer Festival which was held at the nearby Museum of Kent Life (as it was then) at Sandling Farm."

London Drinker (August 2021 edition)

Listed building details:

House with cottage to left, now offices (to left) and public house (to right). C15 to right, C17 to left, with C18 and C19 elevations. Timber-framed and rendered, some incised. Plain tiled roof, stepped down to left in centre. Two-storey gabled dormer with casements to right of centre and end stack off-ridge to front at right. Central hipped projecting cross-wing with large gable to right and Cl9 barge-boards, pendant and finial, taking up most of the depth of the cross-wing. Smaller gable, with C19 barge-boards, pendant and finial, in left-hand re-entrant angle of cross-wing. 2 storeys to left and in cross-wing; 1 storey with attics to right. 1 glazing bar sash on 1st floor to left with tripartite glazing bar sash below. 1 glazing bar sash on 1st floor of re-entrant angle of cross-wing with casement below. 2-storey octagonal bay on end of cross-wing capped by steep octagonally-hipped roof. C20 bowed shop front on ground floor of right-hand block. Half-glazed door to left of canted bay on cross-wing and C20 boarded door to right of right-hand bow window. Interior: Substantial timber-frame visible.

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