Timeline of owners/occupants using census, maps and business directories.

1836 - S.E. Railway Plans for the track shows buildings marked but no name to the area. Supporting information on land ownership and usage shows this as a cottage & garden owned by Ann Booker. The road now known as Station Road from the old turnpike is shown as “highway to Ratscastle”

1841 - Census building recorded as Rats Castle occupied by Mitchel, Thomas (Farmer) and family

1843 – Tithe map shows the building as Ratscastle.

1851 – Census no addresses shown.

1859 – Moseley, John beer retailer.

1861 – Moseley, John (master baker & innkeeper).

1862 – Now Moseley, William.

1867 – Moseley, William is now shown as “Kentish Arms & Fly proprietor”.

1874 to 1890 – Bowles, Henry “Kent Arms”. The Bowles family came from the Maidstone area. Gertrude married George Homewood who owned the butchers and yard nearby. Tragically she died young leaving two little daughters. George went on to marry Grace Wright and the children were raised with a new family. First at Norfolk House a property that was in Commercial Road and later at Woodhurst in Old Kent Road.

The Kent Arms on a busy day. Premises known as the John Brunt VC in recent times ©

Old photograph of John Brunt formally known as the Kent Arms until 1947 ©

1891 to 1905 – Bowles, Sydney (publican), occupants now include a servant/groom and by 1905 the directories are describing the property as “commercial & posting house; good accommodation for pleasure parties; good cricket & tennis grounds; also bowling green, adjoining railway station”. The bowling green was on the site of Bowles Place in Old KentRoad and the Cricket ground was on the site of the Kent Close estate which was built post WW2. Cricket moved to the Memorial Field along with the tennis courts.

1909 – Licensed victualler now shown as Walker, James Albert and he remains until mid 1930’s. James Walker was the father of Jack Walker who wrote the first history of Paddock Wood (Beginnings and Bygones of old Paddock Wood). Jack was raised at the premises and in later years became very well known as a local councillor. The family then lived in Mount Pleasant

1947 – Pub formally renamed The John Brunt V.C. There was a special ceremony attended by John’s father. Mr Brunt managed the Canning factory for some time, where fruit from the area was also bottled. The factory was once on the site of the supermarket nearby(currently Waitrose, 2022.) and was famous for its factory chimney which was for the boiler. The Brunt family lived at Woodlands a property that was once near the site of Woodlands Health Centre (2022)

1950/1953 – Longley, Harry listed as publican.

1997 – Name changed again to the Hopping Hooden Horse. This was to prove very unpopular with some local residents. The premises however was successful and the landlord and his very wife well liked.

2001 – New owners Rita and Terry Dixon revert to the original name, John Brunt V.C.

2008 – New sign designed by Alex Atkinson unveiled by Eric Knight a well known resident of Paddock Wood. Eric & his wife Margaret liven in Old Kent Road contributed a great deal to the heritage of the area and told many wonderful stories.

2017 - New owner, Ray Doyle, submitted a planning application to build a house on part of the land beside the pub. This application was not granted.

2019- The premises was purchased by Star Pubs & Bars and closed for two months while it was beautifully refurbished. It is run by Alan & Jill as a very popular venue that pays tribute to John Brunt VC (2022).

John Brunt VC

The Elm Tree

Whites Corner