High Street
Snodland
Above postcard, circa 1909. |
Above postcard, date unknown. |

Above photo showing a children's Christmas party held in the club room
above the main bar in 1957. Kindly submitted by Martin Miller. |
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.
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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.
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From the
https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Amy Tregenna, 10 September 2022.
The Queen's Head Hotel
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
CASTLE Thomas 1858-1861 dec'd

CASTLE Sarah 1861-1867

BARKER Joseph 1870-1874
(commercial and posting house)
BATES Thomas 1874
WISDOM George Gideon 1878-1889
(age 46 in 1881 )
REEVE Arthur 1890-1891
GILBERT William 1892-1893
WELBY Arthur 1894-95
CANNON George Tom 1895
CANNON James 1896-1901

CANNON Martha 1902
LEWIS Nugent Frederick 1903

KRUMM Richard 1904-1908
LEWES Charles Allan DeWitte 1909-1910 (age 29 in 1911 )
HORTON Arthur Albert 1911-1929

TULLY Frederick George 1930-1931
LANE Alfred George 1932-1933
RICHARDS Percy 1934-1935

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
From Melville's Directory 1858
From the Kelly's Directory 1862
From the Kelly's Directory 1874
From the Kelly's Directory 1899
From the Kelly's Directory 1903
From the Kelly's Directory 1913
From the Kelly's Directory 1934
Census
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