Our picturesque seaside village is becoming a ghost town after THREE of our pubs shut – where’s everyone going to go?
RESIDENTS in a picturesque seaside village say it’s becoming a ghost town after three pubs are set to close down.
Only one boozer will remain in Dymchurch, Kent, but it’s only open Friday to Sunday.
Locals now ask what will be left for the thousands who flock to the arcade and fairground-brimming village each year, as shops are also closing.
Elderly couple Derek and Susanne Coppin moved to the village six years ago from nearby Maidstone, exited to indulge in the facilities on offer.
But Susanne told MailOnline she is devastated by the goings-on.
She said: “I think it’s disgraceful. I’m concerned the village could become a bit of a ghost town.
“Now the butchers has recently closed and you have all of these pubs up for sale.”
The boozer casualties are The City of London, The Ocean Inn and The Ship Inn.
The City of London closed its doors earlier this year, hitting the market for £295,000.
Since then The Ship Inn and The Ocean Inn have been thrown up for £250,000 and £125,000 respectively but both remain open until further notice.
It is unclear exactly why all three have shut-up shop – but 33 pubs are closing every month across Britain.
A combination of supermarket booze buying, staying in, the soaring cost-of-living and the devastating after-effects of Covid on the hospitality industry are to blame.
As uncertainty surrounds the pubs in the village, Mark Lilly, owner of The Ship Inn, said it will remain a pub and urged locals to remain calm as the leasehold is sold.
He explained: “I think the current managers are just ready to leave and run their other pubs.”
Martin and Diane Petken, live in neighbouring St Mary’s Bay, and regularly visit Dymchurch during the summer.
Diane said she “can’t believe” what’s happened and said she is worried about the economic impact on the village now they’re gone.
The Hidden Treasure micropub is the only boozer guaranteed to remain open, but is closed during the week to save on soaring energy prices that have “tripled” in a year.
Owners Andrew and Marluce Clark said they struggled over the winter months and said it was “not worth” opening more than three days a week in the seasonal village.
Andrew explained: “We have to find the right balance between increasing our prices and keeping it affordable for people. It is a real challenge.”