The Pilot Inn

01/06/2026

A little demonstration of how much the beach has grown towards France at Dungeness, over the past 70 years!

17/05/2026

The annual gathering of the trains, at The Pilot Dungeness, this afternoon.🥰🚂🚃
Thank you to Jonathan for the video!

06/05/2026

🍴On the specials board tomorrow🍴

Homemade Chicken and Bacon linguine in a creamy white wine sauce, topped with parmesan, cracked black pepper and parsley. Served with garlic bread. £19.95

28/02/2026

These are the imagined pub signs for The Pilot Inn, in its various forms, going back to 1633.

27/02/2026

The (short) history of The Pilot Inn, Dungeness.

⚓ 1630s – The Spanish House
Local tradition says the original building was constructed around 1633 using the timbers and hull from a (diliberately?) wrecked Spanish vessel off Dungeness.

It became known as:

▪ The Spanish House
▪ Sometimes called The Spanish Inn
▪ Later romantically referred to as The Galleon

Because of its ship-built structure, it was also described as a “timber house” or “plank house.”

🏴‍☠️ 1700s – Smugglers & Hovelers
By the 18th century, Dungeness was notorious for wrecking and smuggling.

The inn — then known as:

▪ The Dover
▪ The Dover Castle Inn

— became associated with Dover pilots and the local hovelers (boatmen who rowed out to ships offshore).

It was also linked to smuggling gangs operating along the Romney Marsh coast. The isolated headland made it ideal for landing contraband — brandy, to***co and tea — before moving it inland.

During this rougher era, references appear to:

▪ The Dover men
▪ The Hovelers’ house
▪ The inn at “The Ness”

Though colourful terminology surrounded it, the licensed name remained Dover Castle.

⚓ Around 1845 – The Pilot Inn
As maritime regulation tightened in the 19th century, pilotage became more formalised.

Around 1845, the inn adopted the name:

The Pilot Inn
Reflecting the professional pilot service that defined Dungeness for generations.

🏗 1959 – Rebuilt on the Shingle
By the mid-20th century, the old Pilot had fallen into disrepair.

By then, the sea had receded approximately 150 metres, and the new Pilot Inn was constructed about 100 metres from the site of the original building.

The landscape had shifted — but the name endured.

📜 The Name Timeline
⚓ 1630s – Spanish House
🏴‍☠️ 1700s – The Dover / Dover Castle Inn
⚓ c.1845 – The Pilot Inn
🏗 1959 – Rebuilt near original site

From shipwreck timbers…
To smugglers’ rendezvous…
To hoveler boatmen racing the Channel tides…

The Pilot Inn remains one of Kent’s most atmospheric survivors of England’s maritime frontier.

Next time you stand on the shingle outside it, you’re standing where wreckers, smugglers and pilots once watched the horizon. 🌊⚓

16/02/2026

👀 We currently have 2 tables available for Bingo this evening- Monday 16th [email protected]. Please call to book 01797 32014. 👀

04/02/2026

MIKA had lunch at The Pilot a few days ago. He was in Dungeness filming his new video. 🥰

The official "Excuses For Love" music video performed by MIKA. Listen to MIKA's new album 'Hyperlove' out now: https://mika.lnk.to/hyperloveConnect with MIKA...

31/01/2026

🎉Thank you to everyone who came along to take part in our Annual Sloe Gin Night yesterday evening! 🎉

🫐We had a great evening and managed to raise £500 for our friends RNLI Dungeness Lifeboat Station🫐

We had a fantastic 19 entries. The winners were as follows:

3rd: Alan King
2nd: Sarah Brown
1st: Sue Baldwin

A huge thank you to everyone for your support and to our fantastic judges who had the arduous task of sampling all of the entries!

30/01/2026

Olivia Coleman filming at The Pilot over the last two days 🥰

Oscar-winning actor Olivia Colman has been spotted filming in Kent as crews set up on Romney Marsh.

09/01/2026

🫐 Not long to go until our Sloe Gin competition! 🫐

🗓️Friday 30th January from 7.30pm🗓️
⭐️We are raising funds to support our local heroes RNLI Dungeness Lifeboat Station⭐️
🎉Please bring your entries along by 7.00pm🎉
🍷Entry Fee £5 (300ml minimum required)🍷
All welcome!