The Swan in Maidstone to close as Shepherd Neame plans to auction off pub
15:27, 24 July 2019
updated: 15:37, 24 July 2019
A pub based in the shadow of a prison is set to close.
Shepherd Neame has announced it plans to sell off The Swan in County Road, Maidstone.
News of the closure comes a few weeks after the Kent brewer sold off the Dog and Gun, a short walk away in Boxley Road.
The Swan pub, opposite Maidstone Prison, will be up for auction in September - the same month the pub is expected to close.
In 2015 the 19th century pub underwent an £80,000 refurbishment when a log burning stove and flagstone floor were installed.
The bar, garden and toilets were all renovated.
A Shepherd Neame spokesman said: "We can confirm that after careful consideration, the brewery has decided to sell The Swan in Maidstone.
"It was not a decision taken lightly, but the pub does not fit with our current business strategy."
The brewer gave the same, near verbatim, excuse when it announced it was selling the Dog and Gun in May.
It sold last month for £385,000, well over the guide price of between £200,000 and £220,000.
