The New Flying Horse
A Grade II listed country inn and pub in Wye, Kent, offering traditional Kentish food, cask ales, and nine guest rooms.
Last updated September 27, 2026
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Overview
The New Flying Horse is a traditional country pub and inn located in the village of Wye, in the Ashford district of Kent, England. Situated on the edge of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it has operated as a posting house and hostelry for over 250 years, serving travellers on the historic road to Canterbury. The building is Grade II listed and retains period features such as timber beams, tiled gables, and open fires. The pub offers a dining experience seven days a week, with a menu focused on traditional pub food and authentic Kentish ales, alongside a carefully selected wine list. It also provides accommodation in nine guest rooms, making it a base for visitors exploring the Kent countryside, the cathedral city of Canterbury, and the North Downs. The inn is dog friendly and features outdoor seating, a real fire, and a large garden seating up to 60 people. A notable feature of the pub is its garden centrepiece, 'A Soldier's Dream of Blighty', an award-winning Chelsea Flower Show garden designed by Julian Dowle. The original show garden won Best Show Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show 2005 and was recreated at the New Flying Horse in May 2006. It commemorates the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and includes a Dig for Victory vegetable patch, a pond, a field of poppies, and a miniature thatched English pub. In 2014, six Chelsea Pensioners visited to mark eight years since its installation. The New Flying Horse is a well-known local landmark in Wye, a village with a rich history as a former royal Saxon manor and home to Wye College, founded in 1447. The pub continues to operate as a country inn, welcoming locals, tourists, and travellers en route to Dover and the continent.
History
The New Flying Horse is a Grade II listed country inn with centuries of history, originally established as a posting house on the road to Canterbury. It has served travellers, locals, and passers-by for over 250 years. The building's timber beams, tiled gables, and open fires hint at its 18th-century origins, while the hospitality blends old England spirit with a modern touch. The inn stands in Wye, one of Kent's most historic villages. Wye was once a royal Saxon manor and later home to Wye College, founded in 1447 by Cardinal John Kempe. Kings stayed in the area, rebels were tried there, and scholars, clergy, and farmers were educated there for generations. On the hillside above, the Wye Crown, carved into the North Downs by students in 1902 to celebrate the coronation of Edward VII, still watches over the valley. In May 2006, the New Flying Horse became the permanent home to 'A Soldier's Dream of Blighty', an award-winning Chelsea Flower Show garden designed by Julian Dowle. The original show garden, created with the help of Chelsea Pensioners, won Best Show Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show 2005 and was designed to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Set in 1945, the garden featured a Dig for Victory vegetable patch, a pond and tranquil seating area, a field of poppies, and a miniature English pub representing the dream of homecoming in the form of a thatched building. On May 10, 2014, the pub welcomed six Chelsea Pensioners to mark eight years since its installation. The main feature of the garden, the thatched cottage, remains a centrepiece. The pub continues to operate as a country inn, offering dining seven days a week, authentic Kentish ales, a carefully selected wine list, and nine guest rooms. It is dog friendly and features a garden seating up to 60 people, a real fire, and outdoor areas. Its location on the edge of the Kent Downs, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, makes it a popular stop for exploring Canterbury, walking on the Downs, or as a restful stopover en route to and from the continent.
Originally established as a posting house on the road to Canterbury; has served travellers for over 250 years.
May 2006: 'A Soldier's Dream of Blighty' Chelsea Flower Show garden recreated at the pub.
May 10, 2014: Six Chelsea Pensioners visited to mark eight years since the garden's installation.
Products and positioning
A traditional, historic country inn offering authentic Kentish hospitality, dining, and accommodation in a picturesque village setting.
Traditional pub food
Authentic Kentish ales
Cask beers
Carefully selected wine list
Nine guest rooms
Sources3 sources
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