Britain's oldest brewery will open a pub at the nation's newest garden city.

Shepherd Neame will run The Chalk Yard, which doubles up as a boutique hotel, in the Castle Hill section of Ebbsfleet Garden City, near Dartford.

Described as a “21st Century family pub” the alehouse, which received planning permission tonight, is named after the area’s mining history and the landscape it left behind.

There will be 17 individually designed rooms as well as a function room for community or private events and up to 25 full time jobs will be created.

Ebbsfleet Development Corporation’s Chief Planning Officer Mark Pullin said: “This is a landmark building that will be at the very heart of Castle Hill in Ebbsfleet Garden City.

“We’re very pleased that so much consideration has been given to the look and appearance and that it is so strongly based on the area’s history in what will be a high-quality building.”

Shepherd Neame Chief Executive Jonathan Neame said: “This is an exciting project at the heart of a major development in North Kent at the strategic crossroads between London and the Garden of England.

“This fits perfectly with our programme of investment in our pub and hotel estate, providing a great drinking and dining experience and high-quality accommodation for our customers in unique and interesting locations.”

The Chalk Yard will be the development second such establishment after Spring River opened in 2017.

The area now has more than 1,900 homes with almost 5,000 residents.

It also has a primary school with another being built and a third in the pipeline as well as plans for a major secondary school campus.

By the time it is finished in 2035 15,000 homes will have been built on the site off the A2.

Read more: All the latest news from Dartford