At the lower end of Station Road on Lower Rainham Road is “The Angel”. Many names of public houses had a biblical or esslesiastical flavour, possibly because they were church property or built on church land. The area from below Mackland Farm stretching to Otterham Quay was indeed Church land and the Angel was one of these. This was before Disraeli said in 1864 among other things, “I, my Lord, am on the side of the angels”. The Inn sign here depicts an archangel with horn (probably an oversight by the artist); angels being the ‘ rank and file of the heavenly host and messengers without, do not sport trumpets. Here again older inhabitants recall pre 1900, the four horse coaches using this hostelry on the then main road Chatham to Sheep Island (Sheppey).
This old photo of the Angel pub was taken in 1984 and shows the Fremlins and Whitbread signs outside
