99 Canterbury Street

Gillingham

01634 578381

https://www.whatpub.com/canterbury-tales

Above photo 2011, from www.Flickr.com by Ben Levick.

(Information below from Brian Brockie, 2017.)

Dating back to the mid 19th century, the premises was originally known as the "Woodland Tavern." Its first licence was granted in around 1864. The building was once known as ‘Woodlands House’ and was the home of famed Gillingham resident John Lock. The premises became the "Canterbury Tales" in the 1990s, presumably to disassociate it from the reputation as a ‘Hell's Angels haunt’ that the "Woodlands" had acquired from the early 80’s onward. It has undergone a number of structural changes, its several ground floor rooms having been transformed into a single carpeted bar, necessitating an incongruous column, for support. However, it has retained a lot of its original character, including an original fireplace, which has been incorporated into the décor.

I am informed in May 2024 that the pub has again reverted back to being called the "Woodman Tavern" again.

LICENSEE LIST