Villagers have vowed to "battle on" and "pick off" developers in their fight to restore and reopen a fire-ravaged country pub to its former glory after failing in their bid to salvage the site.

A devastating blaze ripped through the Green Man in Hodsoll Street last year after it was hit by a lightning bolt which gutted its timber frames.

It had overlooked the green in the quiet hamlet between New Ash Green and Vigo for more than 130 years and was described by villagers as the beating heart of the community.

At the height of the blaze in the early hours of June 16 last year, five fire engines fought the flames and water was drained and pumped from a neighbouring home's swimming pool to assist. The building had to be demolished a few weeks later.

In the aftermath, the 7,000-strong community rallied together to raise thousands of pounds to rebuild it and assist devastated landlord Alex Brooks, who ran the pub for more than four years with wife Steph.

But a tricky post-pandemic pub landscape and the upcoming expiry of the lease meant this was no longer feasible and Alex has since stepped away.

The now flattened site, which was declared an asset of community value (ACV) towards the end of last year, was later put up for sale by the Stonegate pub group.

Final bids were received up until by September 21 including by The Green Man Recovery Group – a collective group of residents – who want to rebuild the historic boozer.

But after now being told unofficially that their bid has been unsuccessful there are fears it could be sold off to housing developers.

The community put in a "significantly above market value bid" supported by MPs, councillors and villagers but have been told a "much higher bid" has now been accepted – although this has not been confirmed officially.

Sally Samuels, member of The Green Man Recovery Group, said: "It is obviously being sold to a developer with the intention of building houses.

"The community are completely devastated and shocked that Stonegate are looking to profit from the site."

"It is obviously being sold to a developer with the intention of building houses."

In recent weeks she says villagers have seen various people walking around the site with an architect who informed them theirs had been a successful bid.

The group understand the winning offer is "considerably more".

Sally did not wish to disclose the financial value of their own bid for fearing of prejudicing it should others fall through.

But she added: "We are really upset because we did put in a good-sized bid. It was over and above the actual cost of the actual land the building was on."

Sally says pubs are closing all the time in the area but the group had drawn inspiration from success stories nearby such as The Plough at Trottiscliffe, also an ACV.

The boozer was recently paid a visit by reappointed Security Minister and Tonbridge and Malling MP Tom Tugendhat.

Back in 2020, Enterprise Inns declared The Plough in Taylors Lane unviable and announced they would put it up for sale for housing.

But 112 villagers were determine to prove them wrong and dipped into their own pockets to raise the £570,000 necessary to buy and refurbish the building which is now owned by Trottiscliffe Community Benefit Society.

And while they don't have a building to work with, Sally believes there is a similar demand for the Green Man.

She added: "Even in this [economic] climate it is possible to get something up and running serving the community and also making a profit to keep whoever is running it going."

Despite their disappointment, villagers have vowed to "battle on" and "pick-off" any developers looking to encroach upon the hamlet which is surrounded by the most concentrated group of listed buildings in Kent

Sally said the efforts to help shape their bid had actually brought them closer together as they rallied around a common cause.

"The community will be up in arms and will push back as hard as it can," she said. "We are going to do what we can to pick off the developers as and when they turn up.

"We are going to make it as difficult as possible or at least ensure it is done properly and legitimately."

She added: "A developer might look at it and think that's a brownfield site.

"We have to make them aware it's not like that. It is a much more problematic site than it looks. We are constantly chipping away at little bits of information."

The Stonegate group was approached for comment.