Hawkenbury Road

Hawkenbury

Trading circa 1890, the pub was very popular with hop pickers on their annual “Londoners’ Holiday”. At its height, in the inter-war years, about 200,000 East Enders - mostly women and children - made the annual pilgrimage down into the Kentish hop gardens and pub, was a local pub which welcomed the people who worked in the fields opposite.

In WWII the Hare and Hounds was the watering hole for RAF Staplehurst, based behind the pub towards Chickenden Lane. The USAAF Station Code was "SH" and 363D Fighter Group was based there. Headcorn Aerodrome has a fascinating WWII flying history museum with many exhibits of local interest, with free parking and admission Link www.lashendenairwarfaremuseum.co.uk/.

One of the most notable WWII patrons at the Hawkenbury was Colonel John R. Ulricson who flew his P-51 "Lolita" from RAF Staplehurst.

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