ROYAL OAK Pub of Blean

DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Page Updated:- Monday, 18 November, 2024.

PUB LIST

PUBLIC HOUSES

Paul Skelton

Earliest 1857-

Royal Oak

Open 2020+

140 Blean Common

Blean

01227 760149

http://www.royaloakblean.com/

https://whatpub.com/royal-oak

Above photo 2013 by Malc McDonald Creative Commons Licence.

Above sign left, July 1986. Sign right, 2013.

With thanks from Brian Curtis www.innsignsociety.com.

The building we see today is obviously not the original, as that was reported to have been totally destroyed by a fire in 1871.

From the Kentish Gazette, 22 September 1857.

ST. AUGUSTINE’S PETTY SESSIONS. Friday. (Before Wm. Delmar, Esq., and W. H. Furley, Esq.)

Patrick McKelvey, William Barrett, Patrick Murdoch, and Wm. Radcliffe, four privates of the 33rd, were charged with disorderly conduct and assaulting the police.

P.C. Raines deposed:— About eight o’clock on Thursday morning I saw the prisoners at Tyler Hill, about a mile and a half from Canterbury Barracks. They were in full uniform. McKelvey and Barrett were drunk, the other two sober. They went to a public-house and had half a gallon of beer and twopenny worth of bread and cheese, and went away without paying. I was in the house at the time, and when they went away I went after them by another road, and stopped them. On telling them that they had had some beer without paying for it they denied it, and wanted to go back to the public house. I went back with them, and the landlady then gave them into custody. When I said they must go with me, Barrett ran away and I followed him. He went into a hedge and I slipped down under him. He then struck me on the mouth and also on the nose. I put the handcuffs on him, and then took McKelvey, who was standing alongside at the time. He (McKelvey) tried to break away from me, and caught hold of my coat in the scuffle and tore it; he also struck me in the chest. He and Barrett were both drunk and very abusive. Murdoch and Radcliffe came quietly with me. I took them all four into custody.

In reply to McKelvey, witness said that Barrett was the man who called for the beer.

The witness said that before he saw the prisoners he had information that they had beer without paying for it at the "Royal Oak," at Blean, and that they had been taking apples from some trees.

Emma Burton deposed that she lived at Blean. One of the soldiers came into the house and asked for a drink of water, which she gave him. She could not identify the man, but thought it was McKelvey. Three other soldiers stood in the road at the time. When he went away she locked the door for she was afraid of them. Afterwards Barrett came and asked for a pot of cyder. She told him she did not sell it, and he then asked for bread and cheese, which she gave him. Afterwards he wanted more but she did not give it. He was not sober. The others did not say anything to her.

In reply to the Bench, P.C. Raines said:— I did not touch Barrett before he struck me. I had spoken to him about the offence, but had not said I should take him into custody.

The Bench fined the prisoner Barrett 40s., and in default committed him to the House of Correction for one month. The other three prisoners were sent to be dealt with by the military authorities.

Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald, 4 June 1870.

SINGULAR ACCIDENT.

An accident of a very singular character occurred on the Canterbury road last Tuesday. The horses and van belonging to Mr. Lennox, carrier between Whitstable and Canterbury, were stopping at the "Royal Oak," Blean Common, when the mail cart came along, and from some cause the horse backed the part into the van. The horses attached to the latter turned suddenly round, crossed over the road, jumped a ditch into a field, and ran as far as the wood at the opposite side of the field, when one of the horses fell down, by which means further progress was stopped. There were several passengers in the van, but fortunately all of them, as well as the horses and van, escaped without injury. The labourers and people about rendered assistance in helping the passengers out of the van and getting up the fallen horse, which having been done all proceeded on their journey in safety.

Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald 9 December 1871.

FIRE.

On Friday evening last a fire broke out at the "Royal Oak" public-house, Blean. As the firemen of the different offices at Canterbury were engaged upon a fire that took place there about the same time and as there was also a want of water at the place no engines were sent, and the building was entirely destroyed by the flames. The premises were insured in the Kent, and the stock in the County fire offices.

Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald 28 January 1882.

DEATHS. BLEAN.

January 25th, at the "Royal Oak Inn," Blean. Mr. Robert Eyers, late of the "Red Lion Inn," Bridge, aged 36 years; much respected.

From District Registry Office 1889.

Be it known that at the date hereunder written Letters of Administration of the personal Estate of Sarah Ann Fox wife of Richard Fox late of the "Royal Oak" in Blean in the county of Kent deceased, who died on the 21st day of December 1888, at the "Royal Oak" aforesaid intestate, and had at the time of her death a fixed place of abode at the "Royal Oak Inn" aforesaid within the District of the East Division of the County of Kent were granted by Her Majesty's High Court of Justice at the District Registry attached to the Probate Division thereof at Canterbury to the said Richard Fox of the "Royal Oak Inn" aforesaid Licenced Victualler the lawful husband of the said intestate, he having been first sworn well and faithfully to administer the same.

Dated the 7th day of February 1889.

Gross value of personal Estate £246 0s 11d.

Extracted by the administration.

From the Whitstable Times, 4 August 1900.

BLEAN. SUCH THIRSTY WEATHER.

Thomas Browning, landlord of the "Royal Oak," Blean was summonsed for keeping open during prohibited hours on the 22nd July.

Mr. Rutley Mowll appeared for defendant who pleaded guilty.

Sergt. Hubbard deposed that on the 22nd instant he watched defendant house from 9.40 to 10.20 a.m. He saw five men enter the back door. He followed the last two and when he got inside he found a man named Nicholls. He noticed five pint pots which had recently contained beer.

Mr. Mowll admitted that Nicholls was served with beer, but asked the Bench to remember the hot weather on the date in question. Defendant had been a licensed victualler for upwards of 18 years and had never been before the Bench before.

Superintendent Jacobs said that he had received complaints about the house.

The Bench fined defendant £1 and costs 9. 6d., but did not endorse the license.

From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Gerry Warren, 26 June 2018.

Landmark legal victory could save farmland at Blean from development.

Canterbury City Council has won an important High Court legal battle which could save a green field site from development.

The authority originally rejected a scheme for 85 homes on farmland behind the Royal Oak at Blean, which is not designated for housing in the Local Plan.

The controversial housing development at Blean.

Much to the relief of villagers, the council turned it down on a number of grounds, including that it was a sporadic form of development outside the village and was detrimental to the character and appearance of surrounding rural environment in general.

But developer Gladman Developments appealed and the application was subsequently granted by a planning inspector.

Now, following a two-day hearing in the High Court, a judge has backed the council’s case that the inspector made an “error in law” in interpretating the planning policies and has ordered the application be re-determined at a new hearing with a different inspector.

The judge also ruled that the council’s expenses of more than £19,000 should be paid by the Secretary of State.

The council’s Head of Planning, Simon Thomas, said: "It’s highly unusual for us to take the government to court in this way, but there were important issues at stake here.

"Our Local Plan has very clear policies on where we will allow development and on the protection of our precious countryside. The Inspector misinterpreted these and reached a decision that we felt we had no option but to challenge on behalf of local residents.

"It is not the end for this specific planning application, though, as the Planning Inspectorate is now required to reconsider the appeal.”

From an email received 12 November 2022.

I have been tracing my GGGrandparents Richard Fox and Sarah Ann Nutter. In 1881 he was a farm labourer at Westwood, St Peter with his wife Sarah and two sons. In 1891 he was a widower with his two sons and a farmer at Mill Lane, Preston next Wingham. Sarah was from Chislet and father was farm worker. A slight mystery if this is the correct Sarah how she ended up in the pub trade for some time before her death.

Thanks very much.

Linda Dennis.

LICENSEE LIST

GOLDSACK James 1871+ (age 33 in 1871)