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Stone
Elverton
Luddenham
Above postcard, 1980s, kindly supplied by John Robertson. |
Above photo circa 1987, kindly sent by Jeremy Lynn. |
Above photo circa 1987, kindly sent by Jeremy Lynn. |
Above photo taken April 1988, by Roger Marples. |
Above photo, names and date unknown. |
Above photo, circa 1989, kindly sent by Jeremy Lynn. |
Above photo, date unknown. |
Above photo, circa 1989, kindly sent by Jeremy Lynn, showing the
licensee Bob Jarrett bringing the change. |
Above photo, circa 1990. |
Above photo 1990 showing Bob Jarrett in the cellar. |
Above photo by Penny Mayes, date unknown,
Creative Commons Licence. |
Above photo by Peter Checksfield, September 2014. |
Above photo by Peter Checksfield, September 2014. |
It is believed the pub closed early 1990s and there was an outcry, with
news of the closure making regional TV news. The pub had been in the hands
of the same family for well over 100 years and had not been touched probably
in a hundred.
The thing that made Mounted Rifleman so special was the fact that it
didn't even have a bar! Instead each pint was brought up from the cellar, on
a tray, by the landlord. The pub's single draught beer was Fremlins Bitter,
drawn straight from the cask. Even more unusual was that the bottled beers,
spirits, mixers and soft drinks were all kept in the cellar as well, almost
as though the proprietor didn't want customers to actually see the drinks on
offer!
The pub was entered from the rear, almost as though one was walking
through the landlord's garden, the pub's interior was basic and simply
furnished. I do recall learning in the mid 1980's that the landlord had
dropped dead following a heart attack. After his death his brother took over
the running of the pub for a while.
In the early nineties the pub became to much for him and having, as far
as I know no family who wanted to take the pub over reverted back to the
brewery, there were a number of interested parties but with a large number
of planning restrictions on developing or extending the pub, interest waned
with the pub being sold off as a private dwelling. Indeed the pub is still
missed and still spoken about in the Faversham area.
The pub was put up for sale, and was eventually sold without a license,
as a private house. The Mounted Rifleman had absolutely no frills about it
and and been in the same family for several generations. It was particularly
sad to see it close.
Source: Andy Johnson and Paul Bailey.
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Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald 11 June 1892.
FAVERSHAM COUNTY SESSIONS. SUNDAY DRINKING.
John Austin, who keeps the "Mounted Rifleman" beer house at Stone, was
charged with selling beer during prohibited hours on Sunday morning May
12th. Henry Scott, an old man 74 years of age, was also charged with
being on licensed premises at the same time and place. Both defendants
pleaded guilty.
Instructing-constable Deeley said that he visited
the house at twenty minutes past eleven on this Sunday morning, and
found two men in there drinking; one was a traveller and the other was
the defendant Scott, who lived near the house. The defendant Austin, in
reply to the bench, said that he thought he was serving travellers.
Superintendent Lacey said that complaints had been made about Sunday
drinking at this house, and he also handed a letter to the Bench
complaining of the same thing. The Chairman observed that it was a
serious case.
Austin was fined £2 and 9s. costs, and Scott was mulcted
in the sum of 5s. and 9s. costs.
The Chairman added that the bench
would not endorse the license this time, but warned him to be careful
for the future. Austin paid his money at once, but Scott, who seemed
surprised at the result of the case, was allowed a fortnight.
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Above showing the entry in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide 1982.
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From an email received 21 June, 2017.
My Grandad was a regular there,
He lived at Barrow Green, Teynham. He died in WW1. I visited the pub
around 1964 I went in the front door, the bar, or counter was on the
left. Yes the barman went down to the cellar, behind the bar and
returned with the beer. The other room was on the right with mums and
kids with welly boots on wood handles with bottle tops nailed on keeping
beat with the music from a tape recorder. Rather like zombies! Good beer
though.
Garth Wyver.
Blackheath NSW.
Australia.
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From an email received 17 February 2020. I drove past this pub this
morning as I have fond memories of the place. It was very basic with a
Yorkstone floor throughout and as the story states, the apron-wearing
landlord went into the cellar and brought drinks up on a tray. Children
were permitted in a side room, before the days of being allowed
everywhere. The neatly mown verge shown in the second picture is now a
tangled thatch of brambles, very overgown.
Regards,
Paul Narramore. |
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From an email received 21 February 2022. I too have fond memories of
this pub from when I worked at TVS Television in the 1980's.
The landlord at that time had what I assumed to be Parkinson's
disease because when he fetched the pints from the cellar the were never
full because he had spilt some coming back up the stairs. Nobody cared
however it was a wonderful experience to be drinking in this pub.
Ian Edwards. (France.)
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From the
https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Sam Lawrie, 4 June 2024.
Former pub the Mounted Rifleman in Luddenham, near Faversham, up for sale for £1.1m.
One of Kent’s most remote pubs with a quirky history has gone up for sale.
The Mounted Rifleman in Luddenham, just outside of Faversham, was owned
by the same family for more than 100 years until its closure - and now
it’s on the market for £1.1 million.
The Mounted Rifleman, a former pub in Luddenham, has gone on the market.
Picture: Miles and Barr.
The former public house had lots of unique features, the most prominent
being that it had no bar.
The drinks would be kept in a cellar just below and the landlord, John
Austin, would bring the drinks up for punters on a tray.
In the early 1990s, the owners shut up shop and there was such an outcry
that news of the closure even made local TV.
However, the unconventional pub was soon sold as a private house and
it’s stayed that way ever since.
If you look closely, you can still see the pub sign on the exterior wall
of the building.
Inside, however, the Grade II listed property has changed drastically
and is now a five-bedroom family home.
The main house boasts four bedrooms, with period features including
beams and sloped ceilings, while the fifth bedroom can be found in the
separate annexe.
The annexe is currently being let as a holiday home and sits alongside a
further three outbuildings that could be used as workshops, storage
spaces or additional accommodation.
The pub closed in the 1990s and was converted into this family home.
Picture: Miles and Barr.
The Grade II-listed building has maintained many of its period features.
Picture: Miles and Barr.
The property boasts a large garden with three outbuildings and a
separate annexe. Picture: Miles and Barr.
The detached property covers around three acres of land and is nestled
in a rural location where there is plenty of peace and quiet.
The nearest town, Faversham, can be reached within around 10 minutes by
car, with a good selection of shops, pubs and restaurants. |
LICENSEE LIST
AUSTIN John 1891-92+ (age 69 in 1891 )
JARRETT Bob 1980s
Census
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