Stork at Rest, Gravesend

The Stork at Rest was situated in the Valley Drive area of Gravesend, some distance south of the town centre. Opened in 1957, the name derived from the site's former use as a maternity hospital. The then owners, Courage Ltd, had run a competition to name the new pub and one of their employees, Reg Bourne, was the worthy winner.

The pub remained a popular local venue, particularly with the darting fraternity, until the owners decided to cash in on their asset at the expense of the local community, time being called permanently in 2012. It was sold to developers and despite almost universal opposition, planning permission was eventually obtained for the pub's demolition and replacement with housing (of which there is clearly a shortage in the area) in 2018. The council knows best, after all.

The pub stood empty, forlorn and boarded for ages, but as at September 2020 the building has been razed and building is about to commence.

Thanks to www.dover-kent.com for use of the archive images.