FOX AND HOUNDS INN Pub of Darenth

DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Page Updated:- Thursday, 14 October, 2021.

PUB LIST

PUBLIC HOUSES

Paul Skelton

Earliest 1841-

Fox and Hounds Inn

Closed 2011

Lanes End

Darenth

https://whatpub.com/fox-hounds

Above photo, circa 1900, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above photo, circa 1904, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above Charabanc trip set off from the "Fox and Hounds" circa 1920. Kindly sent by Ray Petri who says his grand father is in the shot somewhere.

Above photo circa 2013.

Above photo, kindly taken and sent by Ian Goodrick, August 2017.

Above sign August 1986.

With thanks from Brian Curtis www.innsignsociety.com.

Photo January 2018, showing the demolition. Kindly taken and sent by Brian Brockie.

This started trading as a pub in or around 1845, although some of the building may have dated from the mid-17th century or even earlier. Brian Brockie tells me that for a time the western end single story section (which is now demolished in this picture) was once an old integral stable block. It was converted to become an extension to the pub and was primarily used as a restaurant called the Hayloft. It was a short-lived project. Later in the 1980's - I played there in my band. During the development of that western section - a small cannonball was found in the wall - dating back to Cromwellian times (1650).

The pub ceased trading in 2011 and was torn down in 2018 to make way for yet more housing, leaving the locality of Lane (or Lanes) End without a pub.

This was a tied "Fleet Brewery" pub in 1865 when the brewery was put up for auction. The old photograph indicates that it was also probably part of the Dartford Brewery Co's tied estate, so would later have passed to Style & Winch and eventually to Courage who operated the pub for much of the late 20th century.

As the information is found or sent to me, including photographs, it will be shown here.

Thanks for your co-operation.

South Eastern Gazette, Tuesday 8 June 1841.

DARENTH SUICIDE.

An inquest was held at the "Fox and Hounds" public house, on Monday, the 31st ult., before C. J. Carttar, Esq., touching the death of a respectable person in that house on the night of the 20th. It appears the deceased engaged a bed and retired to rest. On his not rising to breakfast in the morning, the landlady, with others, proceeded to the chamber, and were horror-struck at finding the unfortunate gentleman nearly dead from the effects of poison; a small bottle with the remains of which was found near him. A surgeon was promptly sent for, but his aid was ineffectual. From letters which were in his pocket-book, it appears he was a London land-surveyor, evidently labouring under mental depression in consequence of the infidelity of his wife; the affair still remains a mystery.

The jury found a verdict of "Temporary Insanity."

Gravesend Reporter, North Kent and South Essex Advertiser, Saturday 24 April 1886.

Petty Sessions.

Authority was given for 6 days to Mr. Gousden, landlord of the "Fox and Hounds," Darenth, to sell excisable liquors in a temporary building erected for the purpose, to the men employed on the extension works of the Metropolitan Asylum at South Darenth.

Maidstone Journal and Kentish Advertiser, Tuesday 26 February 1889.

Darenth. Fatal Accident.

An inquest was held on Wednesday last, at the "Fox and Hounds Inn," before Mr. E. N. Wood, deputy coroner, to inquire into the circumstances attending the death of William Ashby, who died from the effect of an injury sustained by a cartwheel passing over him.

Deceased was in the employment of Mr. Eastwood, farmer, and was engaged on the 13th February, carting dung from the wharf at Dartford, to a field occupied by Mr. Eastwood at Darenth on the 11th inst. It was a very frosty day, and the roads were hard, and as deceased was going beside the cart of which he was in charge into the field, he slipped, and the wheel of the car went over his chest, injuring the right lung, from the effects of which he died.

The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death."

LICENSEE LIST

BARTLETT Susanna 1847+

MARTIN John 1858-Aug/66 dec'd (age 70 in 1861)