The History

Thought to be built in the early 1,600’s Banks Restaurant was originally called ‘The George Alehouse’. It then sold for £75 in 1754 and the ‘Prince of Waterloo’ was adopted much later where the name of the Inn stood for over 250 years. During this period the likes of William Hogarth and Charles Dickens would stay at the Inn to refuel. Dickens would traditionally recharge by indulging in a glass of champagne before bedtime each evening.

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Born in 1770 Edward Banks was a Civil Engineer and pioneer of Steam Ships. Among his undertakings were various lighthouses, prisons, Dockyards, and some of London’s finest bridges which he would later be knighted for in 1822. Sir Edward Banks had a love for the Isle of Sheppey and his architectural work can be spotted all over the Island including The Naval works at Sheerness Dockyard, Sheppey Court, Neptune Terrace, and the Royal Hotel to name a few.

In 1829 it’s believed his company carried out a total renovation of the building on the ‘Prince of Waterloo’ Inn which unfortunately by the millennium had ceased to trade. Purchased in 2004 by Mark Seabrook, a local builder, the building has been updated, extended, and lovingly restored in the Style of Sir Edward Banks to honour his influence on the Island.
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