Pub closures: Kent village 'ghost town' fears after three of its four pubs shut
The decline of the British pub has been felt starkly in Dymchurch, Kent, where all but one of its drinking establishments have closed - with the remaining pub only open three days a week.
Residents of a seaside village in Kent have spoken of their fears that the area will become a ghost town after three of its pubs were put up for sale.
The Ocean Inn, The City of London and The Ship Inn in Dymchurch have all been put on the market, leaving locals with just one micropub, The Hidden Treasure, that is only open from Fridays to Sundays.
There is also a Royal British Legion but that is for members only.
The City of London closed its doors earlier this year as the freehold was listed on the market for £295,000.
Since then, the leasehold for The Ship Inn and The Ocean Inn have also been listed for £125,000 and £250,000 respectively.
Derek and Susanne Coppin moved to the village, that has a population of around 3,500 people, six years ago from Maidstone due to all the facilities it had to offer.
They questioned what residents will do without enough hospitality venues.
Susanne Coppin said: "I think it's disgraceful. You get so many people come down here in the summer – where is everybody going to go?
"I'm concerned the village could become a bit of a ghost town. We moved here originally because it had everything that we wanted.
"Now the butchers has recently closed and you have all of these pubs up for sale."
Martin and Diane Petken, who live in neighbouring St Mary's Bay, often visit Dymchurch during the summer time.
Diane Petken said: "It is a worry I think. The village relies on these businesses to help keep the place alive.
"I get it is a seasonal place, but it has always been like that. It shows people are struggling at the moment."
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It comes as 33 pubs are closing nationally every month due to the cost of living crisis hitting the trade just as they began to recover from COVID.
Across England and Wales nearly 400 pubs closed their doors in 2022, according to real estate adviser Altus Group’s analysis of official government data.
The rising costs of energy, goods and labour amid the ongoing cost of living crisis have contributed to there being fewer pubs in England and Wales than ever before.
The total number of pubs dropped below 40,000 during the first half of 2022 – a drop of more than 7,000 compared with a decade ago, according to Altus Group.
Separate data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in 2020 could also help to explain why local hospitality in coastal towns may be on the decline.
It found that population in nearly a third (32%) of smaller seaside towns had declined between 2009 and 2018 – double the declines seen in small, non-coastal towns (16%).
Some 71% of coastal towns in England Wales also had both slower population and employment growth in the same period, according to the ONS.
Less people earning lower incomes than the rest of the country could be a factor in the long-term viability of pubs and other venues.
While micropub The Hidden Treasure remains open in Dymchurch, owners Andrew and Marluce Clark admit to struggling over the winter months.
Marluce Clark said: "Pubs closing is a trend at the moment, so it is definitely a concern for us.
"As Dymchurch is such a seasonal place, to survive the winter months we have only been opening on Friday, Saturday and Sunday."
The couple opened the high street micropub back in 2019 and remain hopeful but nervous about the year ahead.
Andrew Clark added: "The rising utility bills mean that it's not worth us opening during the week.
"Our bills have tripled in price this year.
"The idea for us is to try and make our money in the summer and that buffers us for the winter.
"My fear is that this year we might not get that buffer."
