A former pub which served a village for hundreds of years has been turned into a luxury Airbnb.

The Six Bells in Chislet, between Canterbury and Thanet, dates back to the 1800s, though it is likely to have been a successor to the original Bell pub, which opened in the 1600s.

However, after suffering the same fate as many traditional taverns, it has now been converted into a huge holiday home.

The Georgian property, believed to have shut as a pub in the 1990s, now accommodates 12 people across four bedrooms, and comes with a hot tub and gym.

Mixing classic features like exposed beams and fireplaces with modern decor, the property also boasts a pond, a sizeable garden and a library.

One room even pays homage to its past life with an authentic bar retained from its glory days as a boozer.

It is run by Zoe Johnson, a skincare business owner with more than 115,000 followers on Instagram, and her husband Theo.

The former pub was transformed into a family home, long before the married couple recently took over.

With the pair at the helm of their burgeoning skin cream business and the long working hours it demands, they explained why they decided to turn The Six Bells into an Airbnb.

"For someone to want to run it as a pub, it would have to be a real labour of love to become a viable business," they explained.

"We know people who have struggled in the pub industry.

“If we did want to run a pub we'd want to put our all into it to do it justice.

"The situation for many publicans is sad. It's a historic culture in this country and it is being lost."

Having overhauled the building into a holiday home last year, they often work well beyond midnight to make sure the place is up to scratch for guests.

For now the duo, who have two children together, live in a smaller home in a nearby village.

But they hope money garnered through Airbnb will help them pay the mortgage, giving them a chance to move in to the former pub one day.

Theo, 35, explained: "I've been aware of the growth of Airbnb properties.

"When I was younger, I was of the mindset that they ruined areas and gave people less homes, less places to live.

"But now, realistically, I can see things from the other side too.

"We live in a time when people have to grind and hustle to provide, and we want to provide the very best for our children."

He explained they worked to ensure the building’s appearance was in keeping with the area, while the house still contains many relics to the bygone pub era.

Zoe, 42, explained: "In some areas, like where the seating area was, you really get a feeling of atmosphere.

"The sheer amount of lives which have played out between those walls is an incredible thing - you can feel the history in it.

"When we saw it we just fell in love with the house."

While prices vary, anyone booking The Six Bells can be expected to pay more than £500 a night for the privilege after service and cleaning charges.

The transformation comes as pubs across Kent continue to shut while Airbnbs thrive.

Visit Kent, the county’s inward tourism organisation, says there are, countywide, about 11,000 holiday lets available at any given time.

A search on Airbnb at any given moment offers thousands of holiday homes, guest houses and rooms up for grabs across the entirety of Kent.

By contrast, the number of pubs in Kent is believed to be just above the 1,000 mark.

Across the country, about six pubs shut their doors for good every week last year, resulting in around 4,500 job losses.