The pub is 'closely bound up with English consciousness'

Three were named by English Heritage in a book that opposes the practice of tearing out old-fashioned interiors.

Pubs in the county that have held on to their past can be found in Groombridge, Snaregate, and Whitstable, it says.

They have links to smuggling groups, medieval games and World War II memorabilia. One Whitstable pub was one of the first to have a coffee room.

"The pub has a very long history and one which is closely bound up with English consciousness," Andrew Davison, author of Licensed to Sell, said.

"It is woven into the fabric of some of our greatest literature - from Chaucer's pilgrims to Mr Pickwick."