Above image circa 1905. Information from 'Swanscombe, in old picture postcards' by Christoph Bull:- Around 1905 Swanscombe had at least 25 pubs that are recorded - that excludes Greenhithe. Most public houses were 'beer houses' offering a basic service with no spirits allowed for sale. The "Blue Anchor" and the "George and Dragon" were the two premier establishments with full licenses and able to offer stabling for horses and rooms for guests. The name "Blue Anchor" is supposed to come from an ancient legend whereby a chain appeared from the sky one Sunday morning with an anchor at the end, which had lodged itself behind a gravestone in the churchyard. A man in sailor's costume descended the chain and in attempting to free the anchor drowned - even though he was on dry land. The chain was cut leaving him in Swanscombe. A local version of this story was that he was abandoned by the unseen vessel in the clouds, but survived to be the first landlord of the "Blue Anchor." The anchor was seized by the locals, melted down and made into the hinges on the north door of St. Peter and St. Paul's church. This wonderful building, with astonishing lack of taste, was demolished and replaced with a new pub on the same site (but set further back from the road) in March 1965.

Above photo, circa 1930-40s, kindly sent by Mike Shipton.

Above photo circa 1960. This photograph was taken at a time of transition - Style & Winch were taken over by Courage Brewery in 1958 and both companies are still displayed. The pub was built circa 1735 in what was the original village of Swanscombe, long before the days of Galley Hill's growth in the Victorian era. Like all pubs, the "Blue Anchor" hosted many local organisations such as the Royal Ancient Order of Buffalos, which was a friendly society for working class people to pay small amounts of money weekly and to use in case of illness or other crises. Swanscombe United Football Club also used the premises for their headquarters. The Hazel Family were landlords from the 1890s until the early 1980s. This view shows a small entrance on the right, which led into a yard and then onto a huge 158-foot-long garden with three outside toilets. A stable was situated to the right of the above entrance (just out of the photograph) and a skittle alley was also part of the back building complex.

Above photo, by Bob Kirkwood, May 2010.

Above sign, May 1985.

With thanks from Brian Curtis www.innsignsociety.com.

The Reporter, 31st July 2012.

Swanscombe pub The Blue Anchor to be demolished.

The demolition of a pub in Swanscombe that dates back several hundred years has been given the go ahead.

Dartford council approved an application on Thursday 19 to replace the "Blue Anchor" with eight terraced houses and one detached house. Planning permission was first given in 2009 but the developers applied to extend the time for the development to commence. The application received many objections including from the town council, which lamented the loss of a historic building and asked that if approval was given, that a plaque be built on the site.

Town clerk Graham Blew said: “We are very disappointed that the planning authority has chosen to grant this permission as it is a part of Swanscombe’s heritage.”

No date has been set for the demolition but a spokesman for the developers said it would be “several months away”.

Above photo showing location, 2013.