WESTCOURT ARMS Pub of Gillingham

DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Sort file:- Gillingham, February, 2022.

Page Updated:- Wednesday, 09 February, 2022.

PUB LIST

PUBLIC HOUSES

Paul Skelton

Earliest 1888

Westcourt Arms

Closed 14 July 2019

Canterbury Street

Gillingham

01634 853086

https://whatpub.com/westcourt-arms

Above photo showing the snow storms of March 1909.

Above photo, 1932.

Above photo 2011, from www.Flickr.com by Ben Levick.

Information below by Ben Levick

The "Westcourt Arms," located on the corner of Gillingham Road and Canterbury Street, opened in 1888. It gets its name from the nearby Westcourt Farm (now long gone - the farm buildings were demolished in about 1880). The farm buildings occupied a triangular piece of land bordered by Copenhagen Road, Gillingham Road and Canterbury Street. The licence was transferred from two other old Gillingham pubs, The "Isle of Beauty" on Bishop's Marsh and the "Royal Engineer" in Medway Road, Twydall.

This pub is unusual as the entrance to its beer cellar is on the opposite side of Gillingham Road to the pub itself, connected by a short tunnel.

In 1861 the Census showed Stephen Hibbard to be a Chatham Police Station Police Constable.

In 1888 Mark Rutter applied to move the house, the "Isle of Beauty" with another transferred licence, probably to the "Westcourt Arms" in Canterbury Street which opened in 1888.

The Chatham News stated that the licence was transferred to the "Westcourt Arms" from the "Royal Engineer" in Medway Road/Exmouth Terrace in 1888. I suggest that this was the combined licence mentioned above.

The premised sadly closed on the 14th July 2019. Hopefully just temporarily though.

From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Ed McConnell, 11 August 2019.

The Westcourt Arms, Gillingham, to be sold by Admiral Taverns.

A 19th century pub is to be sold five months after demolition work began at a neighbouring boozer.

Owner Admiral Taverns announced this week it has “reviewed its options” for The Westcourt Arms, Canterbury Street, Gillingham, and will now “add it to the market”.

There have not been any planning applications in relation to the venue so it is unclear whether it will reopen in future.

The Westcourt had been serving punters for 131 years when last orders were called last month, with landlady of four years Lisa Barnes challenging regulars to “drink the pub dry”.

The drinking hole opened in 1888 and its beer cellar is intriguingly accessed via a tunnel under the road.

LICENSEE LIST

HIBBARD Stephen 1891-1901+ (also Job Master age 76 in 1901)

Census

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

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