DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Page Updated:- Wednesday, 13 December, 2023.

PUB LIST PUBLIC HOUSES Paul Skelton

Earliest 1858-

Queen's Head Hotel

Closed 1991

High Street

Snodland

Queen's Head Hotel

Above postcard, circa 1909.

Queen's Hotel

Above postcard, date unknown.

Queen's Head Christmas Party 1957

Above photo showing a children's Christmas party held in the club room above the main bar in 1957. Kindly submitted by Martin Miller.

Queen's Head Hotel 2012

Above photo by kind permission of Eric Hartland, October 2012.

 

I am informed by Martin Miller that the pub had a large back yard that contained stables as late as 1957, and it is suggested that the pub may have been a coaching inn.

 

South Eastern Gazette, 15 May, 1860.

MALLING, WEST. Petty Sessions. (Before J. W. Stratford, Esq., in the chair, Admiral Randolph, Col. Fletcher, Capt. Cheere, R. Tassell, M. H. Dalison, W. Cook, and S. L. Lancaster Lucas, Esqrs.)

Thomas Castle, landlord of the "Queen’s Head," was fined 30s. for having his house open for the sale of liquor, during the prohibited hours on Good Friday.

 

South Eastern Gazette, 12 June, 1860.

TO ALL LOVERS OF THE PICTURESQUE.

A Beautiful Retreat in the Country, a five-penny trip by rail, or, if preferred, a lovely row on the silvery, winding Medway. Easy distance from Rochester and Chatham to the "QUEEN'S HEAD INN," SNODLAND.

T. Castle, Proprietor.

Romantic views of the famed Kit’s Coty House hills; the fine old parish church of Snodland, where quietly rest the remains of the celebrated Waghorn, of overland (India) route celebrity; and various other attractions. Salubrious air, &c. Excellent accommodation for Dinner and Tea Parties.

Wines and Spirits of the best quality.

Fine Cricket Meadow; one week’s notice required for the use of it.

Cabs. Quoits, Nine-pins, Four-corners, &c. Charges moderate.

 

From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Amy Tregenna, 10 September 2022.

The Queen's Head Hotel

Queen's Head location 2022

Birling House, the site of the Queen's Head, 2022.

This pub on the High Street, which closed in 1991 and is now an assisted living facility named Birling House, was first recorded in 1858, when the landlord was Thomas Castle.

The land was owned by Thomas Poynder, and the building was designed to serve travellers using the railway, after the station opened in 1856. Thomas Castle and his wife had previously been at the "Five Bells" in Halling, but Poynder convinced them to move to The Queen's Head.

Thomas Castle died in 1861, and the Queen's Head was taken over by his widow, Sarah.

George Wisdom was the landlord in 1878. He married his wife Violet in 1880, and she passed away in 1889, aged 28.

George then became the landlord of the "Star Inn" in Rochester, but passed away in Tonbridge in 1893, aged just 36. (I appear to have his age in 1881 as being 46, Paul Skelton)

Now, the former hotel and coach house is run by The Mortimer Society and houses 31 residents.

 

Project 2014 has been started to try and identify all the pubs that are and have ever been open in Kent. I have just added this pub to that list but your help is definitely needed regarding it's history.

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

Thanks for your co-operation.

 

LICENSEE LIST

Last pub licensee had CASTLE Thomas 1858-1861 dec'd Melville's 1858

CASTLE Sarah 1861-1867 Kelly's 1862

BARKER Joseph 1870-1874 Kelly's 1874 (commercial and posting house)

BATES Thomas 1874

WISDOM George Gideon 1878-1889 Next pub licensee had (age 46 in 1881Census)

REEVE Arthur 1890-1891

GILBERT William 1892-1893

WELBY Arthur 1894-95

CANNON George Tom 1895

CANNON James 1896-1901 Kelly's 1899

CANNON Martha 1902

LEWIS Nugent Frederick 1903 Kelly's 1903

KRUMM Richard 1904-1908

LEWES Charles Allan DeWitte 1909-1910 (age 29 in 1911Census)

HORTON Arthur Albert 1911-1929 Kelly's 1913

TULLY Frederick George 1930-1931

LANE Alfred George 1932-1933

RICHARDS Percy 1934-1935 Kelly's 1934

SMITH John George 1936-1938

SMITH Alice Maud 1939

DURVANT Henry 1940

MORLEY Henry Franklin 1941-1942

RUSSELL Frederick William 1943-1947

DANIELS Leslie Arthur 1948-1953

SOUTHIN Patrick George 1954-1956

MILLER James Alfred 1957

JOHNSON Bertie 1958

PRICE Walter Alfred 1959-1966

WALLACE Arthur John 1966-1968

COOKE Phillip Henry 1969-1970

CHAFFEY Colin Albert 1971-1974

 

Melville's 1858From Melville's Directory 1858

Kelly's 1862From the Kelly's Directory 1862

Kelly's 1874From the Kelly's Directory 1874

Kelly's 1899From the Kelly's Directory 1899

Kelly's 1903From the Kelly's Directory 1903

Kelly's 1913From the Kelly's Directory 1913

Kelly's 1934From the Kelly's Directory 1934

CensusCensus

 

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

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