NEW INN Pub of Yalding

DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Page Updated:- Monday, 23 June, 2025.

PUB LIST

PUBLIC HOUSES

Paul Skelton

Earliest 1797-

New Inn

Latest 1947

(Name to)

Fowl Hall

Yalding

Above postcard, date unknown.

Above map circa 1890.

Said to predate the arrival of the railway in 1842.

From Maidstone Telegraph 10 December 1864.

YALDING. - FOUND DROWNED.

On Sunday morning last the body of Peter Pope, an aged man was found in the water called the Isles, at Fowl-hill, Yalding, in the occupation of Mr. C. Gibbs. He had been missing for nearly a week.

1861 census shows Peter Pope at "New Inn," Yalding, Landlord, John Pope, probably a relative.

From the Southeastern Gazette, 3 July 1866.

YALDING, MARDEN, AND BRENCHLEY, KENT.

EIGHT valuable and desirable FREEHOLD FARMS, of superior Hop, Fruit, Meadow, Arable, and Woodland, the Parsonage House, and 25 Acres of Land, adjoining Collier-street Church, the “Wellington Inn,” the “New Inn,” at Fowle Hall, two Houses and Shops, Wheelwright’s Premises, and various Cottage Property, at Clay Gate, Fowle Hall, and Yalding Town.

Messrs. CHARLTON & SKINNER Will SELL by AUCTION, at the Mart, Tokenhouse-yard, London, on Monday, the 13th August, 1866, at One o’clock, by order of the Trustees of the late W. B. Tomkin, Esq., the following desirable FREEHOLD PROPERTIES, in twenty-six lots.

Los 1:— That valuable and highly-productive FARM, known as “Mockbeggar,” comprising 37a. 0r. 24p. of superior fruit, hop, arable, and meadow land, with farmhouse and necessary agricultural buildings, let on lease to Mr. Jenner, expiring Michaelmas, 1867, at £120 per annum.

Lot 2:— The WOOLPACK FARM, consisting of 67a, 1r. 22p., with farm house and agricultural buildings, on lease to Mr. Jenner, expiring Michaelmas, 1869, at £175 per annum ; also the Blacksmith’s Forge adjoining, occupied by Mr. Henham, a yearly tenant, at £8 8s.

Lot 3:— COLLIER-STREET FARM, consisting of 100a, 0r, 22p., farm house, five cottages, and farm buildings, on lease to Mrs. French, with other lands, expiring Michaelmas, 1867, at an apportioned rent of £185 per annum.

Lot 4:— The PARSONAGE HOUSE, at Collier-street, in the occupation of the Reverend T. Mills, with the stabling, garden, and pleasure ground, let on a yearly tenancy of £32 per annum, and will be sold subject to an annual rent charge of £20 per annum.

Lot 5:— 24a. 3r. 10p. of valuable and productive HOP, ARABLE, MEADOW, and WOODLAND, in the parishes of Yalding and Harden, adjoining the last lot, on lease to Mrs. French, with other lands, expiring Michaelmas, 1867, at an apportioned rent of £40 per annum.

Lot 6:— MARTIN’S FARM, comprises 84a. 2r. 33p. of superior land with house, cottage, and farm buildings, 72a. 2r. 6p. are in the occupation of Mr. Standing, under lease, expiring at Michaelmas; 11a, 2r. 10p. of woodland in hand; and 0a, 2r. 17p. meadow, is in the occupation of Mr. Wallis, and included in the lease of lot 7.

Lot 7:— The WELLINGTON INN, Collier-street, and about 10a. 1r. 22p. of Hop, Fruit, and Meadow Land, occupied by Mr. T. Wallis, under-lease, expiring Michaelmas, 1868, at £50 per annum.

Lot. 8:— LONGENDS FARM, in the parish of Marden, consists of 40a, 0a. 25p. of productive meadow, arable, hop, and woodland, two cottages, and farm buildings, in the occupation of Mr. J. Standen, a yearly tenant, at £75 per annum.

Lot 9:— About 9a. 2b. 10p. of LAND, near Claygate, in the occupation of Mr. Standen and Mr. Smith.

Lot 10:— THREE COTTAGES and gardens near the last lot, occupied by Hayward, Bowles, and Sevenoaks, yearly tenants, at rents amounting to £16 18s. per annum.

Lot 11:— HORLAND FARM, Marden, comprising 55a. 1r. 5p., house, two cottages, and farm buildings, let to Mr. W. Amos, on lease, expiring Michaelmas, 1867, at £65 per annum.

Lot 12:— A valuable piece of BUILDING LAND, near Gedges, in the parish of Brenchley, known as the Cocket Hop Garden, containing 2a. 0r. 34p., on the road leading to Matfield Green, in the occupation of J. R. Warde, Esq., a yearly tenant at £4 per annum.

Lot 13:— About 4a. 3r. 31p. of HOP and MEADOW LAND, near Fowle Hall, Brenchley, in the occupation of Mr. Henry Barden, at £10 per annum.

Lot 14:— DARMAN’S FARM, near Fowle Hall, and Sampson’s Land, near Lattingford, a desirable Freehold Property, consisting of 47a. 2r. 22p. of hop, arable, meadow, and woodland, cottage and farm buildings. Also about 0a. 2r. Op. of orchard land, cattle shed and yard, near Yalding Lees, let on iea3e, 19 years of which are unexpired, to Mr. J. Tomkin, at £100 per annum. Also, a piece of Woodland, in hand, known as Darman’s Rough, containing 2a. 3a. 27p., and a Cottage and Garden, near Fowle Hall Green, occupied by Alfred Martin, a yearly tenant, at £8 10s. per annum.

Lot 15:— A DWELLING HOUSE and Garden, near Fowle Hall, in the occupation of R. Wells, at £13 per annum,

Lot 16:— A substantially-built PUBLIC-HOUSE, known as the New Inn, standing at the junction of the roads near Fowle Hall, stabling, two cottages, and 3a. Ir. 22p. of meadow and orchard land, in the occupation of Mr. J. Pope, a yearly tenant, at £36 per annum.

Lot 17:— TWO COTTAGES and Gardens, near Pike Fish, in the occupation of Hatcher and Ashby, yearly tenants, at £13 per annum.

Lot 18:— A substantially-built DWELLING-HOUSE, at Laddingford, and 3a. Ir. 36p. of highly productive hop, fruit, and arable land, in the occupation of Mr. S. Hodge, a yearly tenant, at £25 per annum.

Lot 19:— A WHEELWRIGHT’S WORKSHOP, Timber Yard, Store Shed, and Saw Lodge, near Yalding Lees, let to Michaelmas, at £7 per annum. Also, two Cottages and gardens adjoining, occupied by Cronk and Driver, at rents amounting to £13 17s. 4d. per annum.

Lot 20:— SIX COTTAGES and Gardens, adjoining the last lot, in the occupation of Parker, Woodman, King, Lannaway, and others, at rents amounting to £37 14s. per annum.

Lot 21:— THREE COTTAGES and Gardens, opposite the George Inn, in the occupation of Walter, Jones, and Driver, at rents amounting to £20 7s. per annum.

Lot 22:— TWO FREEHOLD COTTAGES and gardens, near Congelow, in the occupation of Gardner and Hodge, at £12 12s. per annum; .

Lot 23:— A large DWELLING-HOUSE, formerly the Swan Inn, near Yalding Bridge, let to weekly tenants, at rents amounting to £44 14s. per annum.

Lot 25:— A DWELLING-HOUSE near the last lot, with Bakehouse, Baker’s Shop, and Premises, in the occupation of Mr. G. Hards, a yearly tenant, at £20 per annum.

Lot 26:— A DWELLING-HOUSE and Greengrocer’s Shop, adjoining the last lot, in the occupation of Mr. R. Barnes, a yearly tenant, at £10 per annum.

Lot 27:— SIX COTTAGES and Gardens, near the Bull Inn, in the occupation of King, Lawrence, Prebble, and others, at rents amounting to £42 18s. per annum.

Particulars and conditions, with plans, may be had three weeks previously to the sale, at the Star Hotel, Maidstone; the inns at Yalding and Brenchley; Sussex Hotel, Tunbridge Wells; W. R. Harris, Esq., Solicitor, 58, Lincoln’s-inn-fields, W.C.; Estate Exchange Offices, ’Change Alley, London; or of Messrs. Charlton and Skinner, Land Agents and Surveyors, Tonbridge.

Maidstone Telegraph, Saturday 11 September 1869.

Licensed Houses.

The "New Inn" licence, Yalding stood over till the 27th through incomplete signatures to notice.

Kent & Sussex Courier 25 April 1924.

A SAD STORY.

At an inquest held by Mr. A. H. Neve at the "New Inn," Yalding, last week, a sad sequel to the housing difficulty was investigated relative to the death of the four-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Medhurst. The father, Thomas Medhurst, a farm Labourer, stated that when he and his family had to leave Tonbridge a month ago, the only accommodation they could get was a converted hooper hut at Yalding, with his brother-in-law, who had four children. With witness’s family there where eleven people living in the hut Dr. Sealey stated that he attended a year-old baby which died from gastric trouble a few days before the death of the other four-year-old child. He was not called in until after the child’s death, which he discovered at the post-mortem was from lung trouble. Horace Simmons, the owner of the farm of which the hopper house is situated, stated that the Medhurst family came there without his knowledge or permission. The sanitary arrangements were good. The Coroner, in summing up, said he felt an enquiry necessary owing to the unsatisfactory condition of overcrowding, which in cases of illness became dangerous. He accepted Mr. Simmons’ statement that what happened was without his sanction, and he hoped that the Rural Sanitary Authorities would see that the overcrowding did not continue. He returned a verdict of death from Natural Causes.

From http://www.twtowncrier.co.uk accessed 13 August 2018.

The Lost Pubs around Paddock Wood: Part One.

“The Hostelries of Paddock Wood”

Starting with the area known as Queen Street, the "New Inn" was situated on the boundary with Yalding parish.

The 19th century census entries state that the inn was actually in Yalding in the area known as Fowl(e) Hall. In fact, the beer stored in the cellar was drawn in Yalding and drunk in Paddock Wood (then a part of Brenchley parish).

When it first began trading is not known but the house itself was built in 1797. In 1841 the licensee was John Pope who held the licence until the mid-1860s after which landlords came and went on a regular basis, one of whom, Arrow Smeed, licensee in 1890, would surely have been a contender for the title of Britain’s oddest named publican.

The pub changed its name to the "Kent Arms" in 1947 following the re-naming of the "Kent Arms" in Paddock Wood to the "John Brunt VC."

In the 1950s trade consisted almost entirely of local land workers and, during the season, hop pickers. Because it was located some way from the prying eyes of the law, after-hours drinking appears to have been a regular occurrence, the pub remaining open until the last customer had departed. Dwindling trade caused the pub to close in January 1996. It is now a private house called The Old Inn.

LICENSEE LIST

POPE John 1841-62+