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Ferry House Inn and Harty Ferry
The oldest parts of the Ferry House Inn date from the C18th. It has had many additional buildings added to its original core and is now a popular wedding destination as well as having treatment rooms and 11 bedrooms, five of which are in the original building. I think that few would argue against the assertion that this is the most upmarket pub on the Isle of Sheppey and probably its best eating place as it has a very good restaurant - these are of course my own opinions.
See their own website here: Link
The original inn is EH Grade II listed: Link
It is quite remarkable that this inn has survived and thrived as a hostelry considering that the ferry after which it is named ceased running at least 75 years ago. As such the inn's passing trade is effectively zero - other than perhaps the odd small boat passing along The Swale. There is an advertising sign for the inn facing out onto The Swale adjacent to the old ferry jetty, so perhaps the occasional mariner does pause for a pint.
Just when the ferry ceased plying the route between Harty and Oare on the North Kent coast seems to be open to conjecture. It is generally stated that the last ferry ran in 1946, however another source suggests that the ferry "fell apart" in 1941. Yet another suggestion is that there was no regular ferry service after the First World War.
The landlord of the inn apparently owns the rights to operate the ferry, and in 1970 a brief flirtation with running a hovercraft across the short stretch of water was actioned. This idiosyncratic service was apparently abandoned after just a few weeks however.
There are remains of the concrete jetty for the ferry on both sides of The Swale - at Harty on Sheppey just south of the inn, and on the mainland side poking out from Oare Marshes. A minor road still runs north from the village of Oare to this site and there is now a car park and visitor centre (for Oare Marshes Nature Reserve) there.
See their own website here: Link
The original inn is EH Grade II listed: Link
It is quite remarkable that this inn has survived and thrived as a hostelry considering that the ferry after which it is named ceased running at least 75 years ago. As such the inn's passing trade is effectively zero - other than perhaps the odd small boat passing along The Swale. There is an advertising sign for the inn facing out onto The Swale adjacent to the old ferry jetty, so perhaps the occasional mariner does pause for a pint.
Just when the ferry ceased plying the route between Harty and Oare on the North Kent coast seems to be open to conjecture. It is generally stated that the last ferry ran in 1946, however another source suggests that the ferry "fell apart" in 1941. Yet another suggestion is that there was no regular ferry service after the First World War.
The landlord of the inn apparently owns the rights to operate the ferry, and in 1970 a brief flirtation with running a hovercraft across the short stretch of water was actioned. This idiosyncratic service was apparently abandoned after just a few weeks however.
There are remains of the concrete jetty for the ferry on both sides of The Swale - at Harty on Sheppey just south of the inn, and on the mainland side poking out from Oare Marshes. A minor road still runs north from the village of Oare to this site and there is now a car park and visitor centre (for Oare Marshes Nature Reserve) there.
by Rob Farrow
Created: Sun, 29 Jan 2023, Updated: Thu, 2 Feb 2023
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