See How The Town Has Changed.

Holmesdale was the pub that died.

Above photo, 1870 by Hazel Willby.

THE photographer who took this picture of the High Street about 100 years ago caught one of the rare moments when the street outside the Holmesdale Tavern - one of the moat popular Seveooaks public houses was not crowded.

Only the older readers will remember this section of Sevenoaks, which like the rest of the town underwent considerable changes in the 1900s and reappeared with the bright, modern look.

All these buildings were timbered — even the "Holmes-Tavern" under the facade shown in the photograph. They were timbered all through and had virtually no walls except for timber studding.

Some of the original timbers of the blacksmith's shop in the far left of the picture still remain under the facade of C. F. Hoad and Son Ltd., the shoe shop.

Pulled down.

Bob Ogley was born opposite the tavern and remembers it as it was five bars, he said, "yet was about 15 years ago. It had still basically a small place.

He also remembers "Gagga" Groves, an old licensee there and one of the town's characters.

"Gagga's son, Len, took over from his father and ran it for about 28 years until it was pulled down two or three years ago.

Len had a remarkable black and white dog named Patch, who seems to have been known by everyone in the town about ten years ago.

Patch had a set routine every week. For two days he would attach himself to one of the town's window cleaners. While he was the window cleaner's "mate" he would virtually ignore everyone else, but stand watch at the bottom of the ladder, with tail wagging and longue rolling.

On other days he would stroll into the "Chronicle" office and go out in the vans with the reporters. Then he was a journalist pure and simple — no window cleaners for him.

When the tavern was pulled down. Len Groves became licensee at the "Bristol Arma" in Tunbridge Wells.

Between the wars a timbered front was added to the tavern, giving it a genuine "old world" look.

In the picture, the building on the far left is a blacksmith's forge. Later it became a clothing company, then the Red Boot stores, and was bought by a Mr. Marsh, who continued with the footwear business.

Blacksmith.

Mr. C. F Hoad took it over in 1894. After the First World War the shop was altered. Part of the shop which is now the ladies' department was at one time the premises of Georges Humphreys, gun-smith.

Toby Hoad took over from his father and in 1934 put in new windows. The shop was again altered a few months ago.

Mr. Toby Hoad said he did not know when this timbered block was built, but his father thought it dated back to Queen Anne's reign. They were originally dwelling houses. The deeds of Mr. Hoad's shop go back to 1700.

The building on the right of the tavern were sundry shops over the years there was a tearoom known aa Miss Kay's. Miss Morriss's tea rooms, Mr. W. Dolton's shop, a wicker work and basket shop, and the china shop, John Craze, which is now further up the town.

By 1936 Sevenoaks Motors Ltd. had moved next door to the tavern and in 1941 Freeman, Hardy and Willis Ltd took over, from a site further up the High Street.

One by one the buildings were renovated beyond recognition or pulled down and completely rebuilt, and other shops moved in.