History

Sited on the corner of Crayford Hight Street and Bexley Lane, the Crayford Arms - a Shepherd Neame pub - was originally built in 1864 and has had quite a few landlords in its 100+ year history. The earliest landlord that we could find was Albert Brown who was the 'guv' from 1874 - 1891. At this time the pub was owned by Crowley, a Croydon brewery. In 1936, the then owners Redfells, extended the building further into Bexley Lane. Archie Brims was the licencee from 1955 to the mid 70's, who some of you may remember.
The arms depicted on the present sign are those of the Draper family who owned the manor of Howbury until the early 17th century.

The current landlords are John and Paul who took up tenancy on November 3, 2006. Since that time they have worked very hard to make improvements to every aspect of the pub.

Our Reputation

The 'Arms' as it is affectionately known to its regulars, is a traditional panelled pub with 2 bars and we pride ourselves on being a friendly welcoming place for regular and new customers alike and with a strong line of traditional and real ales for you to enjoy.

And thats not just us saying that ... in 2009 we were awarded 3rd place in the CAMRA Regional Pub of the Year, this year we came 1st.

Our 5 hand pumps and regular beer festivals seemed to have hit the right spot with Real Ale enthusiasts.

What the Arms has to offer

Where do we begin? Well, for starters the beer is tops. We have 5 hand pumps providing a selection of Shepherd Neame Real Ales, including Kent's Best, Spitfire, Bishop's Finger, together with seasonal specials such as Early Bird and Whitstable Bay. Not a Real Ale fan? Don't worry, we have something for everyone, including Holsten and Orangejeboom lagers and more.

Are you sitting comfortably? We hope so in our saloon and lounge bars and our pretty court yard garden with lots of seating, hanging baskets, a mass of greenery and a covered smoking area. This year our plants have a red, white and blue theme to celebrate the Battle of Britain Day party that we plan to hold (see 'calendar' for details).

Comfortable seats, decor and the best beer around are fine, but that alone doesn't give a pub life. A friendly smile, a genuine welcome and a bit of banter is key ... and you would go a long way to beat the 'Arms' staff for serving this as well as beer.

Music? ... We have plenty! Regular live music events - mainly middle of the road and 50 - 60s evenings, featuring some of the best artists around, take place regularly.

Bit more sporty? Well there's a pool table in the public bar and we have pool knock out competitions. We also have 2 darts teams who play Monday and Thursday League matches ... new players and support always welcome.
Sundays we have a Quiz night and Mondays are 'crib' night.

Theme nights are very popular at the Arms and are not to be missed. Burns Night, Roaring Twenties etc. etc. Dress up, have fun and win a prize ... its a real 'Craic'!

And do not miss Sunday lunchtime at the Arms. Sharon cooks the best roast potatoes around and with cheese and biscuits and sausages on the bar to go with your pint, you just may need to put your own Sunday lunch in the freezer!

... and heres where we meet

The Arms in the community

We are a community pub and the staff and customers regularly, and willingly, do their bit for the community.

Charities the 'Arms' support include Demelza House, The British Heart Foundation and the local School for Cerebral Palsy. Digging deep into pockets and with the assistance of theme nights and several runs by the 'Arms' biker community we have raised several thousands so far.

The video below is a short history of Vickers at Crayford.

"A Magnificent Town & It's Flying Machines: Crayford's Role in Aviation History"

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