ROBIN HOOD AND LITTLE JOHN Pub of Bexley

DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Sort file:- Bexley, August, 2024.

Page Updated:- Wednesday, 14 August, 2024.

PUB LIST

PUBLIC HOUSES

Paul Skelton

Earliest 1854

Robin Hood and Little John

Open 2020+

78 Lion Road

Bexley Heath

020 8303 1128

http://www.robinhoodbexleyheath.co.uk/

https://whatpub.com/robin-hood-little-john

Above photo, date unknown.

Above photo 1930s.

Above photo, 1970s.

Above photo 1990s.

Above photo 2006 by Dave Patten Creative Commons Licence.

Above photo, 2007 by Steve Thoroughgood.

Above photo, date unknown.

Above sign left, 1987, sign right, 1990, kindly sent by Roger Pester.

Above sign, 2015, kindly sent by Roger Pester.

In 1851 the Lewin family of The Hollies Sidcup sold plots of land in the Bexleyheath area. A shoemaker from East Wickham purchased three plots and in 1854 built the Robin Hood on one in Lion Road. He carried on his trade as shoemaker at the same time as running the pub, as was usual in those days.

The 1861 census the pub was just called The Robin Hood. By 1865 the name Little John was added as is shown in the rate books of the time.

It is said that the then licensee had a young son called John who was killed on the forecourt in front of the pub, when a dray making a delivery rolled back over the unfortunate boy. Therefore the Little John part of the name is not from the Robin Hood legend, but that of the young son.

In the 1930s this premises was supplied by Beasley's Ales and advertised as being 2 minutes from the golf course.

From the https://www.newsshopper.co.uk By Jessica Taylor, 9th July 2018.

Robin Hood and Little John Pub in row with customers over beer garden umbrellas.

A family has vowed never to return to a Bexleyheath pub after they received "bang out of order" treatment - but the pub landlord denies they were treated unfairly.

23-year-old Ben Cerisola and his family went for lunch at the Robin Hood and Little John pub in Lion Road during the weekend before last's hot weather.

When his family took a table in the beer garden of the pub, they moved an umbrella to their table to shield Mr Cerisola's 75-year-old grandmother, who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

As they moved the umbrella, Mr Cerisola claims the pub's landlord, Ray Johnson, shouted at them to leave the furniture alone.

Mr Cerisola told News Shopper: "He said: 'How would you like it if I came to your house and started to move the furniture around?,'"

He added that his family decided not to argue with the landlord because his grandmother can become distressed by confrontation due to her condition.

"I don't understand what the issue is anyway. It's a pub - you move tables and umbrellas all the time," he added.

However, landlord Mr Johnson denied any altercation took place and said he simply asked that the family moved the chair under the umbrella next time.

"I said: 'It's ok, you've done it now, but next time please can you move the chair instead of moving the umbrella," Mr Johnson told News Shopper.

He also claimed the family had not replaced the umbrella properly - he believes the umbrella was left loose and later dislodged and fell onto a garden clock, which has now been smashed to pieces.

Responding to claims made by Mr Cerisola that the landlord had asked the family not to return, Mr Johnson denied this was the case and said the family had "left in protest."

He added he understood the family wanted to shade their elderly relative in the hot weather, but said they were making "mountains out of molehills" in claiming they were unfairly treated.

Mr Cerisola and his family said the pub has lost their business from now on.

LICENSEE LIST

MOORS James H 1861+ (age 42 in 1861)