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44 Nargate Street
Littlebourne
Above photo, circa 1900, showing Charles Rolfe and family. |
Above postcard, circa 1900. |
Above postcard, 1908 showing Rolfe & Sun, Basketmakers showing their
baskets in the back garden. Kindly sent by David Chalk. |
Above photo, circa 1910, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. |
Above photo, circa 1915, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. |
Above photo, circa 1920, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. |
Above photo, date unknown, kindly sent by Debi Birkin. |
Above photo, circa 1955, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. |
Willow Cottage, shown above (better photo needed) was the first
Basketmakers Arms Public House in Littlebourne before it moved to the
corner house 44 Nargate Street, shown below.
Above photo, August 2019, kindly taken and sent by Rory Kehoe.
Willow Cottage dates back to 1642 and is of one storey with attics.
The front elevation is rendered, with other elevations being of painted
brick. The peg tile roof has gable ends with axial chimneystacks. Modern
properties Holmbury and The Vicarage are set back from the road,
screened by tall hedging and ornamental trees. A gravel drive leading to
'Conifers' runs between The Vicarage and Church Cottages.
The latest Basketmakers Arms is situated on the corner of Church Road
as shown below, but is unfortunately closed.
This pub closed around 1900 or just before.
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This extract is from the book "Inns of Kent";
Whitbread & Co. Ltd.; 1948 :-
At Littlebourne is to be found The "Basketmaker's Arms," at the corner
of a road junction, with a nice fan-shaped window and looking all a
country inn should be.
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Photos by Nick Smith and Paul Skelton 2007. |
Above sign 1957, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. A black and white postcard
version of the Whitbread inn sign, colour versions of which appeared on
the small souvenir cards, which were collected by customers. The reverse
of this card references the fact that this sign was designed at
Wateringbury by K M Doyle in 1948. Perhaps rather oddly, there is also a
quote "Criticism comes easier than craftmanship" which is attributed to
the classical artist Zeuxis, who was reported to have died of laughter,
just after looking at one of his own paintings! |
Above aluminium card issued June 1951. Sign series 3 number 3. |
According to Rory Kehoe, the pub may previously have been called the "Two
Brewers," before the original building was closed in 1899ish.
The premises was swapped on Christmas Day 1925
by the Black Eagle Brewery for a pub in Platt also called the "Brickmaker's
Arms," owned by Mackeson's Hythe Brewery.
This was part of a general "right-shaping" of Bushell, Watkins
and Smith's/Black Eagle brewery tied estate
and several other East Kent pubs were also swapped out. I suspect that this
more affected lower rent/barrelage houses, as BW&S continued to supply their
other tied houses in East Kent. In early 1926 Mackeson's spent £15 (a lot of
money in 1927!) on a newpub sign for their recently acquired tied house.
When Whitbread's closed Mackeson's
in 1968 the pub changed liveries to reflect the change of ownership and new
corporate branding. Whitbread's eventually closed the "Basketmaker's Arms"
on 21st January 1973.
In 1934 the pub was granted a wine licence and in 1952 it became fully
licensed. There was no cellar and the bar level tap room is where casks were
stillaged and beer drawn.
In 1953 a new licensee took over. He was George Giles, who moved from the
"Plough," Ripple.
The pub was sold, unlicensed, for £17,000.
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Dover Express 2nd July 1909.
LICENSING APPLICATIONS.
Wingham Petty Sessions Before H. F. Plumptre, C. W. Firebrace, I. F. Godfrey
Esqrs, and the Rev S. G. H. Sargent.
The landlords of the "Anchor Inn" and the
"Basketmaker’s Arms,"
Littlebourne, were each granted an hour’s extension for July 29th, the
occasion of the flower show.
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From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday 7
May, 1926. Price 1½d.
PLANS
Plans were approved for alterations to the "Basketmakers' Arms,"
Littlebourne.
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From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday, 3 March, 1933. Price 1½d.
LICENSING
A wine on-licence was granted to the licensee of the "Basket Makers
Arms," Littlebourne.
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LICENSEE LIST
ROLFE Charles 1891-1911+
(basket maker age 60 in 1911 )
COLLAND John 1922-Apr/25
HARRIS Arthur Townsend Apr/1925-Jan/41
HARRIS Mrs Jan/1941+
GILES George 1953+
GILES E A 1961+
https://pubwiki.co.uk/BasketmakersArms.shtml
http://www.closedpubs.co.uk/basketmakersarms.html
According to the Dover Express, Arthur Harris joined the H.M. forces.
 From
the Kelly's Directory 1934
From the Dover Express
Census
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