From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Ed McConnell, 18 December 2019.

Britain's oldest brewery Shepherd Neame to open The Chalk Yard pub in Ebbsfleet Garden City.

Britain's oldest brewery will open a pub at the nation's newest garden city.

Shepherd Neame will run The Chalk Yard, which doubles up as a boutique hotel, in the Castle Hill section of Ebbsfleet Garden City, near Dartford.

The Shepherd Neame pub and hotel will be the development's second. Picture: Ebbsfleet Development Company.

Described as a “21st Century family pub” the alehouse, which received planning permission tonight, is named after the area’s mining history and the landscape it left behind.

There will be 17 individually designed rooms as well as a function room for community or private events and up to 25 full time jobs will be created.

Ebbsfleet Development Corporation’s Chief Planning Officer Mark Pullin said: “This is a landmark building that will be at the very heart of Castle Hill in Ebbsfleet Garden City.

“We’re very pleased that so much consideration has been given to the look and appearance and that it is so strongly based on the area’s history in what will be a high-quality building.”

Shepherd Neame Chief Executive Jonathan Neame said: “This is an exciting project at the heart of a major development in North Kent at the strategic crossroads between London and the Garden of England.

The Chalk Yard is named after the areas history. Picture: Ebbsfleet Development Company.

“This fits perfectly with our programme of investment in our pub and hotel estate, providing a great drinking and dining experience and high-quality accommodation for our customers in unique and interesting locations.”

The Chalk Yard will be the development second such establishment after "Spring River" opened in 2017.

The area now has more than 1,900 homes with almost 5,000 residents.

It also has a primary school with another being built and a third in the pipeline as well as plans for a major secondary school campus.