Ship Inn, Redhill

The Ship was an amazingly intact classic 1952 estate pub which typified the final era of traditional English pub architecture. The public bar, complete with bar billiard table as well as pool and darts, ran from left to right across the main frontage, whilst the saloon occupied the right-hand end and short leg of the combined L-shape. Originally it seemed there was no internal connection between the two for patrons but an arched doorway was later cut through to link the rooms. Both bars retained their original vertical wood paneling, with that in the saloon being subtly more ornate, though the walls in the public had since succumbed to paint. Further period features included the original Formica counter top, plus a glass-bricked wall in the public and also what may have been a bell button to call for service. Other incredible survivors included a large cut-glass saloon bar mirror bearing a stylised "ship" motif, a theme also repeated in differing ways on two circular porthole-like door windows and on a side window of the saloon bar entrance. Evidence of changes of brewery ownership could be seen in the wooden bar back in both rooms, which featured the pub's name spelt out in typical 1960s illuminated Allied Brewery lettering and, outside, a plaque adjacent to the left-hand entrance made reference to Charrington's. The Ship was a Westerham Brewery house until 1965. Sadly in mid 2007 the pub closed, to be demolished for housing.