DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Page Updated:- Tuesday, 09 September, 2025.
PUB LIST PUBLIC HOUSES Paul Skelton

Earliest 1861

(Name from)

 Bockingford Arms

Latest 1938+

 

Loose Valley

Above postcard circa 1909, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.
Bockingham Arms postcard

Above postcard, early 1920s. Painted by A. R. Quinton.
Bockingford painting

Above painting dated 1988 by J T Gilbey Smith, obviously taken from the above postcard, kindly sent by Ray Marshall.
Bockingford Arms 1890

Above photo, circa 1890.
Bockingford Arms 1908

Above photo, date 1908.
Bockingford Arms

Above photo. date unknown.
Bockingford Arms 1909

Above postcard circa 1909, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.
Bockingford Arms

Above photo, date unknown, by kind permission Stephen Golding, http://www.kentphotoarchive.com.
Bockingford Arms 1920

Above postcard, circa 1920, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.
Bockingford Arms 1938

Above postcard, 1938.
Bockingford Arms

Above photo, date unknown.
Bockingford Arms

Above postcard, date unknown.
Bockingford Arms

Above photo kindly sent by Les Swaffer. 2014.
Loose map 1890

Above map 1890, kindly supplied by Rory Kehoe.

 

Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser 5 December 1884.

A young man named Vidler, a plasterer, was on Monday sentenced by the Bearsted magistrates to two months' hard labour, for having been found on the stairs of the "Bockingford Arms," public-house, Loose Valley, for a supposed unlawful purpose. The prisoner, when detected, ran away, but he was captured, when several implements suitable for housebreaking purposes, were found upon him.

 

John Clark listed as license in 1861 suggests he was the first licensee for this pub under that name, but I believe previously and around that same year the pub was known as the "Hand in Hand."

Rory Kehoe says the following:- Whether the pub survived WW2 and into the closing years of Style & Winch isn't known but it would surely have been an early candidate for disposal when, following various brewery amalgamations, the corporate bean-counters set to, leading eventually to the closure of S & W's Medway Brewery in 1965.

 

LICENSEE LIST

CLARKE John 1861+ (age 75 in 1861Census)

FROUD Frederick 1871+ (age 28 in 1871Census)

FROUN Thomas 1881+ (age 28 in 1881Census)

FROUD Will 1882+

FROUD Thomas 1891+ (age 38 in 1891Census)

AVARDS Frederick 1901+ (age 34 in 1901Census)

AVARD Thomas 1903+ Kelly's 1903

AVARDS Frederick 1911+ (age 46 in 1911Census)

HUTT Thomas 1913-30+

ROSE Harry 1938+

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

 

CensusCensus

Kelly's 1903From the Kelly's Directory 1903

 

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