GEORGE AND DRAGON Pub of Ightham

DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Page Updated:- Friday, 27 September, 2024.

PUB LIST

PUBLIC HOUSES

Paul Skelton

Earliest 1828-

(Name from)

George and Dragon

Open 2020+

The Street

Ightham

01732 882440

https://www.georgeanddragon-ightham.co.uk/

https://whatpub.com/george-dragon

Above photo, circa 1898, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above photo, circa 1903, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. Also showing the "Railway Bell."

Above postcard, circa 1904, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. Showing Jan Osborne and wife standing in the doorway.

Above postcard circa 1906, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above postcard, date unknown. Showing the "Railway Bell, centre right, and also the "George and Dragon," left.

Above postcard, circa 1914, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above photo circa 1926, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above photo, date unknown, with permission from Eric Hartland.

Above photo, date unknown. Kind permission from Eric Hartland.

Above postcard, date unknown. Kind permission from Eric Hartland.

Above photo, 1930, with permission from Eric Hartland.

Above postcard, circa 1930, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above postcard, circa 1931, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above postcard, circa 1935, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above photo, 1935, with permission from Eric Hartland.

Above postcard, circa 1936, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above photo, circa 1940.

Above photo circa 1948, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above photo 1953. Kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. Morris dancers performing in front of the George and Dragon, possibly as part of the Queen's Coronation celebrations. The building immediately behind the dancers had been the "Railway Bell" but by the time this photograph was taken, the former pub was selling gallons of petrol, rather than pints of beer!

Above pictures showing a both sides of business card, date unknown.

Above photo, 1976, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above photo date 1978, from www.Flickr.com by Ben Levick.

Photo by Oast House Archives 2009 from http://www.flickr.com.

Above image taken from Google 2014.

Above photo, 19 March 2012, taken by Eric Hartland.

Above photo 2016, kindly sent by Kevin Flack.

Above sign left, 1980s, sign right, date unknown.

Above sign left, 2012. With thanks from Brian Curtis www.innsignsociety.com. Sign right 2018, from Kevin Flack.

Formerly the "Commercial Hotel" this is an old coaching house and can be dated back to 1515. It is said it was the home of the Earl of Stafford and that Elizabeth I visited here.

From the Maidstone Telegraph, 1 January 1870. Price 1d.

Large flocks of sea gulls have been seen in the neighbourhood this week, indicating that severe weather exists on the coast.

A sparrow shoot took place at the “George and Dragon Inn,” on Tuesday afternoon last. The shooting upon an average was very good. After the sport was concluded the party adjourned to the “George and Dragon Inn,” when some capital songs were sung, and one and all spent a very pleasant evening.

Kent & Sussex Courier, Friday 6 August 1886.

Excursion Fatality and Inquest.

On Wednesday evening Mr. T. Bus held an inquest at the "Crown Inn," Seal, relative to the death of Henry Heath, aged 48, a married man, engaged as carter in the employ of Mr. W. Cronk, farmer.

It appeared from the evidence of Alfred Heath, stonemason, of Riverhead, the deceased's brother, Henry Holman, labourer, Ightham, Mr. William Mist, landlord of the "George and Dragon," Ightham, George Self, engine-Driver, Otford, Thomas Skevington, labourer, Thomas Ashdown, carter, Frederick Card, a juryman, Jesse Kimber, and Mr George Warren "Kentish Yeoman Inn," Seal, that the deceased drove, with a pleasure party to Gravesend on bank holiday, and on returning home shortly before 11 o'clock at night, when in the act of descending a hill between Ightham and Seal, one portion of the harness broke, and the horse commence kicking violently, and was run furiously down the hill. There were 9 or 10 persons in the van, which was drawn by one horse, and the driver had omitted to use the skidpan. Four of the occupants of the van, including the deceased and the driver, were thrown out, and more or less badly shaken and injured. The deceased sustained a fracture of the base of the skull beside other injuries. He died almost immediately. The horse was also badly cut about. A verdict to the effect that the deceased was killed by an accident was returned, and the Coroner expressed an option, which was concurred in by the jury, that the driver (Holman) was guilty of a very great carelessness.

Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser 05 April 1946.

"IN IGHTHAM STREET."

The "George and Dragon Hotel," Ightham, is well known, but few, I expect, realise that this was once the "Mansion House in Ightham Street."

Exactly four hundred years ago there died one Henry Peyrse, of Milton, Gravesend, and by his will he gave to the poor of Ightham "for ever" a yearly sum of 6s.8d. and 2s., to be distributed annually on the Friday before mid-Lent Sunday "payable out of his Mansion House in Ightham Street."

Although the " Mansion House" is now a hotel, the charity is still distributed, but the proceeds are now enjoyed principally by the children of the village, and on Friday last two members of the Parish Council, Mrs. Apthorpe and Mr. George King, made the distributions to the children, after school hours.

"MUSH"

Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser 05 May 1950.

LICENSEE'S TRAGIC DEATH.

A verdict of suicide whilst the balance of mind was disturbed was recorded at an inquest at Borough Green on Wednesday on Charles Henry Deerlove Kimpton, licensee of the "George and Dragon Hotel," Ightham, who died from the effects of coal gas poisoning.

Mr. Kimpton, who served in the first world war, gaining the rank of captain and being awarded the Military Cross, had suffered considerable pain from old war wounds, it was stated.

He was founder of the London firm of Bostock & Kimpton, wine merchants of Haymarket. In 1921 he went to live at Ashurst, later living at Groombridge and Langton.

In the late war, he was Company Commander of the Langton Green Home Guard. Both his sons, Peter and Donald, officers in the Royal Air Force, were killed in action.

LICENSEE LIST

MORELAND William 1828-32+