The Red Lion, ASHFORD, Kent

he Red Lion in Charing Heath has rich history, having been built as a thatched farmhouse in 1562, in the reign of Elizabeth I.

An ale and cider licence was granted in 1709, before the Red Lion officially became an inn later that century.

The pub has been trading ever since - including a period of time when it doubled as a postal sorting office.

Visitors here can see for themselves a piece of the pub's fascinating and somewhat spooky history - a child's leather shoe found in the chimney during refurbishment.

Dating from circa 1850, Rumour has it that strange things occur if the shoe is taken off the premises…