This tavern known by the name and sign of the Gardeners was built in the 2nd year of Victoria in 1839

It was , when first built , a dwelling house, owned by one Thomas Easdown, a market gardener. The Lords of the Manor of Higham, at this date and for many years to follow, was St Johns College, cambridge. Thomas easdown was a prosperous market gardener. alarge quantity of the fruit and vegetables he grew was transported to Gravesend and London. The fact that he grew fruit and vegetables gives some indication as to the amount of land belonging to the house during this period. There were at least another nine market gardeners in Higham at this time

Thomas Easdown died in 1846 , leaving the poperty with its land to his wife Elizabeth, who is also described as a market gardener. She remained here and carried on the business until 1855. By this date there were twelve other such establishments in the parish, so trade was competitive. In that year of 1855, elizabeth Easdownsold off 3 acres of land belonging to the peoperty to one Thomas Whitebread market gardener of Higham, retaining only a small track adjoining the house. In 1858 , she sold the house to William Rigden a grocer of the parish, who opened the house as a retail outlet for groceries.

In 1862, Rigden obtained an ale licence for the house. It was granted to him under the beer act of 180, which enabled any householder of reputable character to obtain a beer house licence for a tenement or dwelling. of rateable value, by merely paying the small sum of two guineas to the excise. This meant that more or less anybody could obtain a licence to sell beer without the necessity of having to apply to magistrates. Rigden obtained the licence for this house with little time to spare , for the act was abolishd in 1869, bringing all beer houses that had sprung up all over the country under Magisterial control.

Because Rigden had obtained a licence by the terms of the 1830 act, thre was no need to register the house under any title other than that of a beer house. Rigden ran the house and sold groceries from it as well until 1866. In that year under postal regulations, the property become a receiving house for mail. And so the task of recieving and dispatching the mail fell to Rigden. Letters would arrive here form Rochester at 9.30 am and were dispatched at 4.30 pm. In that year Rigden registered the house under the title of the "Gardeners".

William Rigden ran the house until his death in 1896 whereafter his widow continued to run it until 1897. In that year she sold it to Thomas Hewitt, beer retailer, who in the same year of purchasing the house was brought before Magistrates for selling ales to one James Redsell after the given hour and for permitting the said Redsell to consume that ale on the premises after the given hour. He was fined forty shillings. Thomas Hewitt kept the "Gardeners" for only a short period until his death in 1899, whereafter his widow Rebecca took over the house and its licence. She kept the house until 1909, selling in that year to Frederick Sear, who kept it until 1930. In that year he sold it to the Friary Meaux Brewery. They installed one George Albert Stephens in as the tenant. He kept the house until 1953, handing over in that year to Eric Spencer who kept it until 1986, when Peter Robinson took over