Abandoned Kent: Social Club

This ramshackle prefab social club looks like it would have been tatty and outdated even when it closed in 2013. Sat in the middle of nowhere, the decaying building was a relatively large sports and social club. Its isolated location hints at why it might have closed.

Its license was suspended for two weeks in 2010 after a breach relating to the prevention of crime and disorder. An attendee of an event was assaulted by the DJ and suffered a broken cheekbone. Other breaches of the license included-

“The licence holder did not have a copy of the premises licence.

Unlicensed activity was conducted in that the provision of music and dance continued until approximately 4am.”

CCTV of the late-night party was mysteriously lost, for which the license holder was warned “the panel viewed this issue very seriously and stressed that if there were any future breaches of conditions then the licence could be revoked.”

A large drugs find shortly after it closed is probably the most exciting thing to ever happen in the building. According to the local paper, around 800 cannabis plants with a street value of half a million pounds was discovered in the building. Cultivation instructions can still be seen scrawled in felt tip on the crumbling walls of the building.

In its heyday, it was apparently a popular live music venue, as well as having a cricket and football club associated with it. It hosted regular quiz nights and was a base for the local residents’ association. The venue also had sports pitches and hosted car enthusiast meets.

Last Updated on 10 August 2022 by Michael