DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Page Updated:- Sunday, 13 October, 2024.

PUB LIST PUBLIC HOUSES Paul Skelton

Earliest ????-

Railway Tavern

Open 2020+

Lee Road / 16 Blackheath Village

Blackheath

020 8852 2390

https://www.therailwayblackheath.co.uk/

https://whatpub.com/railway

Railway Hotel 1955

Above photo 1955.

Railway 1980

Above photo 1980, from the Blackheath Society.

Railway Tavern 1991

Above photo 1991, from the Blackheath Society.

Railway Tavern

Above photo, date unknown.

Railway Tavern

Above photo, date unknown.

Railway Tavern 2019

Above photo 2019.

 

Now part of Greater London, this area was indeed Kent before 1965. Hence, I will be adding information regarding this pub as and when I find or it is sent to me, but at present I'll be concentrating on the areas that are within the Kent boundary today.

Your help is appreciated, and every email is answered.

 

Railway Tavern matchbox

Above matchbox, date unknown.

 

This was opened in 1851 and originally licensed with only a beer license as landlords from the the "Three Tuns" and the "Crown" opposed the application to sell spirits.

In 1877 the licensee, Alfred Alexander Cole, created the Blackheath Pandocheion, writing "Whilst fully believing that the partaking of bodily refreshment and pleasant surroundings not only enhances the zest of consumption but ought materially to assist digestion, the process of which requires tranquillity of mind, the new proprietor of the Railway Hotel...has therefore fitted up his premises in an elaborate style (Jacobean) as luxurious as it is unique in England and adopted for it the euphonious Greek title Pandocheion".

The Pandy as it quickly became known did not last long, although the diminutive was used until the 1930s and in 1893 the proprietor stripped out all the Jacobean fitments and installed a new staircase and dining room on the first floor.

All vestiges of its Victorian origins were removed in the 1950s when Taylor Walker removed the Doric porch and columns from the front.

This has also gone under the name of the "Fairway and Firkin" from 1999, but not sure when it finally changed back, probably in 2001 when the Firkin chain was closed by the then owners Punch Taverns.

Closed in 2018 but reopened Tuesday 27th February 2018 after a significant refurbishment which shortened the length of the bar counter to make way for more restaurant seating at the rear.

 

Southeastern Gazette, 11 January 1853.

Alleged Assault at Blackheath.

Joseph Pryce, 59, a mail of gentlemanly appearance, was charged with having assaulted Jane Box, with intent, &c. A second count charged him with an indecent assault. Mr. Russell prosecuted; Mr. Horn defended the prisoner.

It appeared that the prisoner, who is a stockbroker, went to the "Railway Tavern," at Blackheath, where the prosecutrix was employed as nursemaid. On her taking him up some coffee, it was alleged that he kissed her, and took other liberties, but there was no evidence to support the first count in the indictment, and after hearing the evidence, the jury acquitted him on the second count.

 

From the Borough of Greenwich Free Press, 29 May, 1858.

FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT TO A RAILWAY PORTER.

On Tuesday morning last, a fatal accident occurred to William Diggins, a potter in the service of the South-Eastern Railway Company, and employed at the Blackheath Station on the North Kent line. It appeared that the unfortunate man was on the line of rails for some purpose, when the express train, leaving London at quarter-past ten for Strood, came along at the usual speed. It would seem that he could not have heard the advancing train, as it passed over him, death being instantaneous. The unfortunate man’s head was completely severed from his body, and on the arrival of the train at the Woolwich Arsenal Station, a portion of the skull was found on one of the carriage buffers.

THE INQUEST.

On Thursday morning an inquest was held at the "Railway Tavern," Lee, before Mr. C. J. Carttar, coroner for West Kent, on the body of John Diggins, aged 27, a porter employed at the Blackheath station of the North Kent Railway, whose head was completely severed from his body by an express train on the previous Tuesday morning. The following witnesses were examined:-

Samuel Hopkings, a porter employed at the Blackheath station, deposed on the previous Tuesday morning, about twenty-five minutes past ten o'clock, he was about to clean the points, and for that purpose he had an oil-can and scraper, which he left on the platform whilst he went to attend to a truck. He then heard the express train, which leaves London at 10.15, advancing, and when near the station the engine-driver gave two shrill whistles for danger. The train passed by the station, and witness then saw the mutilated remains of the deceased on the rails, the body lying on one side and the head, which was completely severed, on the other.

Barnaby Barber, signal-man at the Blackheath station, deposed he saw the deceased on the down line of rails, engaged in oiling the points. The express down train approached, but the deceased appeared to take no notice, and the train passed over him. Witness was at the time employed at the signal-post, and he distinctly heard the noise of the crushing of deceased’s bones.

By the coroner:- His back was towards the advancing train. I made no signal to him, as I feared that I might divert his attention from the danger.

I felt, in fact, spellbound when I found that he did not move when the train arrived close to him. By one step he might have been out of danger.

Christopher Cockfield deposed:- He is an engine driver, in the service of the South Eastern Railway Company, and had charge of the express down train, which left London on Tuesday morning, at 10.15. The train is express from London to Woolwich, and was proceeding at the rate of twenty-five miles per hour. When within about 100 yards of Blackheath station, witness saw the deceased in a stooping posture, in the act of working the handles of the points. He then gave two shrill whistles, and immediately reversed the engine, and put on the break. The deceased did not move, and witness kept the whistle open; but it was impossible to stop the train until it passed over the deceased.

Abraham Forsham, the fireman, corroborated the evidence of the last witness.

Sarah Skelton deposed that the deceased had resided at her house in Blackheath. He had recently complained of ear-ache, and stated on Tuesday morning that he had put some tobacco in his ear.

Mr. Chapman, station-master at Blackheath, deposed the deceased had been in the service of the company about six weeks. He was a most active, intelligent man, and was very anxious to become a good railway servant. It was not his duty to clean the points, but he was always desirous to be learning.

The coroner said the evidence was conclusive that no blame attached to any person. It was strange that the deceased should remain on the rails, when one step would have saved his life. It was probable that the tobacco which was in his ear had affected him and produced deafness.

Verdict "Accidental death."

 

South Eastern Gazette, 11 September, 1860.

BLACKHEATH. The late Fatal Accident in the Railway Tunnel.

On Tuesday afternoon last an inquiry was held by Mr. C. J. Carttar, coroner, at the "Railway Tavern," adjoining the Blackheath station of the North Kent Railway, on the body of John King Charles, aged 22, the young man whose body was cut in two in the above tunnel on the night of Friday week.

Mr. Robinson, from the office of Mr. Rees, solicitor to the South-Eastern Railway Company, was in attendance on behalf of the company; and Mr. Fletcher, solicitor of Stepney, appeared for the widow of the deceased.

From the evidence given, it appeared that the deceased, who resided at 12, Hatfield-street, St, Luke’s, followed the occupation of superintending the posting of advertising bills for the proprietors, of several London newspapers, and was a passenger from Woolwich to London by the 5.26 p.m. train. He was seated in a second-class compartment next the box of the head-guard, a young woman being the only passenger with him. According to the statement of the guard, George Abbott, on the train leaving the Charlton Station he observed the deceased and the young woman romping together, and after entering the Blackheath tunnel he observed other acts between them which induced him to make known that he was witnessing by knocking at the carriage window with a key and shaking his finger. On the train leaving Blackheath Abbott missed the deceased from the carriage, and conjectured that he had alighted at that station. The young woman in question, when her ticket was demanded at New-cross, remarked that she had none, but that her friend (the deceased) had it, and she would wait for his arrival by a subsequent train. This she was allowed to do, and left at 6.50 with a person who got in at New-cross, she giving up a third-class return ticket from London to Woolwich. When Abbott, the guard, arrived in London with the train, some of the passengers called his attention to a severe jolting which was felt on the train coming through the tunnel, in consequence of which a search was made, but nothing was then discovered. Shortly before ten o’clock the same night, Mr. Chapman, the station-master, not feeling satisfied at the search which had been made, directed three of the porters to walk through the tunnel with lights, and on reaching a distance of about 300 yards they found the body of the deceased cut in two, the upper portion, from the waist, lying between the upline of metals, and the feet and legs near the wall, against which it is supposed the deceased struck while endeavouring to get from one carriage to another, to avoid any complaint being made against him by the guard. At this stage of the proceedings the inquiry was adjourned for a week, the Coroner remarking that as no doubt the case would obtain publicity the young woman might feel it right to come forward and give evidence in the case.

 

South Eastern Gazette, 18 September, 1860.

BLACKHEATH. The Fatal Accident in the Blackheath Railway Tunnel.

On Tuesday afternoon last, Mr. C. J. Carttar, coroner, held an adjourned inquiry at the "Railway Tavern," adjoining the Blackheath Station of the North Kent Railway, touching the death of John King Charles, aged 22, whose body was cut in two in the Blackheath-tunnel, on the afternoon of Friday, the 31st alt.

Two of the ticket collectors at the New-cross station, having given confirmatory evidence to that which has already appeared, of the arrival of the young woman, with whom the deceased was seen by the guard Abbott riding in the same carriage on the arrival of the train in the Blackheath tunnel, the coroner observed that the inquiry had been adjourned in the expectation that the young woman in question would have come forward and given evidence in the matter. Notwithstanding, however, every publicity appeared to have been given to the case, she had not been discovered, or made her appearance, and his opinion was that the jury could do no other than, in the absence of direct testimony, return an open verdict.

The jury having concurred in these observations, returned the following verdict:— "That the deceased was found dead in the Blackheath tunnel, cut in two from a train having gone over him, but how or from what cause originating there is no evidence before the jury to show.

 

 

LICENSEE LIST

MOORE James 1852-58+

MOORE Edwin Davis Aug/1866+

COLE Alfred Alexander 1877-81+ (age 45 in 1881Census)

TAYLOR Joseph 1891+ (age 44 in 1891Census)

FOX William 1907-11+

???? Bill & George 1980s

https://pubwiki.co.uk/RailwayTavern.shtml

 

CensusCensus

 

If anyone should have any further information, or indeed any pictures or photographs of the above licensed premises, please email:-

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