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117/106 High Street
Hythe
01303 266283
https://www.kingshead-hythe.co.uk/
https://whatpub.com/kings-head
Above photo 2010 by Oast House Archives
Creative Commons Licence. |
 
King's Head sign left March 1991. Sign right 2010.
Above with thanks from Brian Curtis
www.innsignsociety.com |
Above sign, 2020, kindly taken and sent by Roger Pester. |
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Above card issued April 1955. Sign series 5 number 26. |
The "King's Head" was known in 1583 as the "George" and later the "Sun."
Oliver Cromwell became Lord Protector of England in 1653, and Hythe Council
spent £3.14s.6d. at the inn on beer and wine, for consumption at his
proclamation in the town.
I appear to have Henry Stokes as licensee here from between 1828 and 1839
according to the Pigot's directories. The same name also appears as licensee
of the "Hope" as well from between 1832 and 1839, which is an overlap. I
wonder of this information is correct.
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Kentish Weekly Post or Canterbury Journal - Tuesday 13 March 1810.
The Doctor having several patients to attend at Hythe, he may be
consulted with on Sunday the 18th instant, from 12 to 4, at Mr Stokes's,
"Kings Head," Hythe.
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Kentish Gazette, 10 February 1852.
Marriages.
Thomas - Stokes. Feb. 1, at Charlton, Dover, Mr. R. Thomas chemist, of
that place, to Miss M. Stokes, daughter or Mr. Stokes, late of the
"King's Head Inn," Hythe.
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Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald, Saturday 22 April 1882.
Mysterious Case of Drowning.
An inquest was held on Monday evening at the "Somerset Arms Inn,"
Canterbury Road on the body of John File, age 33 years, which was found
in a pond at Parsonage Barn, near the cemetery, early on Monday morning.
The deceased was a son of Mr. Elgar File, who for many years kept the
"Queens Head Inn," (sic) at Hythe. He has two brothers keeping licensed houses
in that time. The man had been working for some months at Warehorne, but
recently he received the legacy under the will of an uncle who died at
Elham. After that he left his employment and went about drinking, until
it seems all his money was spent. On Sunday night he called at the
"Somerset Arms" and had a glass of ale, and told the landlady that he
was "played out." He was not seen again alive, but his body was found in
the ponds with the face in the mud, although the water was only about 2
feet deep. A verdict of "Found drowned" was returned.
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From
http://www.ghostpubs.com accessed 17 June 2015.
HAUNTED.
An old coaching inn, it is a large single bar with a number of eating
areas. An old-fashioned cooking range, beautifully black-leaded, is a
feature in the restaurant. It has been an inn since 1513, it locals knew
it as the "George" in 1584, the "Sun" by 1714 and later the "King's
Head." On occasions, doors burst open although they had previously been
locked and bolted. A specialist in the supernatural was invited to
investigate these phenomena by an anxious licensee. That investigator
reported that it was the ghost of a woman called Catherine Scothers.
Through the medium, she explained that she had been a cleaner at the
"Kings Head" and died in 1897 and buried at St Leonard's. Since she has
been given an identity, her manifestations have become more frequent.
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From the
https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Charlie Harman, 28 April 2019.
Fight outside King's Head pub on Hythe High Street.
Police were called as a fight erupted on a town's high street.
The scuffle, which took place outside the King's Head pub in Hythe, is
believed to have occurred when a customer refused to leave the premises.
Reports on social media noted that "there was lots of shouting and
fighting in the street".
A police spokeswoman said: "Police were called to a pub in High Street,
Hythe at 9.35pm on Saturday, April 27 following a report of a
disturbance.
"Police attended and no offences were reported to attending officers.
"No offences were disclosed, no one has come forward as a victim of
crime, and no one has presented with injuries.
"The initial call stated that people were refusing the leave the
premises."
The pub's landlord declined to comment when approached by KentOnline.
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From the
https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Rhys Griffiths, 7 October 2022.
Kings Head pub in Hythe to reopen under new owners who also run Paper
Duck in Ashford.
A high street pub which closed its doors to punters back in April is set
to reopen under new management.
The Kings Head in Hythe is undergoing refurbishment as new landlord
Darren Sterling Weller prepares to welcome back regulars later in the
month.
Darren Sterling-Weller, pictured with wife Nong, is reopening the King's
Head pub in Hythe.
A former head chef at the nearby "Butt of Sherry," the 48-year-old is
excited to return to the town.
He says he will offer up the classic British pub grub he was known for
before leaving the kitchen almost a decade ago.
“I miss cooking, doing all my pies and English food, and I’ve wanted to
come back to Hythe for ages," the former Brockhill pupil said.
“I want it to be a nice little local pub, basically, bring all the
locals and regulars back in here.
“I think I’m doing more talking than painting down here at the moment,
with people coming in and saying ‘it is you, it is you’ and ‘we can’t
wait for you to open’.
The Kings Head pub in Hythe High Street closed back in April and is
undergoing a refurb. Picture: Darren Weller.
“I hope that all the people I know and who have stopped by will come in
and support me and we’ll get it back up and running.”
The pub on the high street is just the latest addition to a hospitality
empire, which is primarily run by Darren’s wife Nong.
She runs Thai restaurant Tilucks in nearby Sandgate, as well as Stag
Coffee and the Paper Duck Asian buffet – previously Yeung’s Oriental
Buffet – in Ashford town centre.
Although he is keen to focus on traditional English dishes at the Kings
Head, many people have asked if they will also be doing Thai food.
It is likely a few more exotic flavours will find their way into the
menu.
"I want to put a little bit of Thai in it as well..."
“Hopefully my wife will come down and give me a hand,” he said.
“I know there is a Thai in Hythe, but I want to put a little bit of Thai
in it as well.
“I wasn’t going to originally, but so many people have asked me, so I
have put a few Thai bits and pieces on the menu.”
Although no date is yet set for the reopening, it is expected the pub
will welcome back customers from the middle of October. |
LICENSEE LIST
STOKES Henry 1810-39+
 
FILE Henry 1847-58+ (also carpenter age 30 in 1851 )
FILE Deborah 1862+ (also cooper)
FILE Henry 1871-74+ (also cooper age 25 in 1871)
FILE Elgar 1881-1903+ (age 43 in 1891)
GRIFFIN D H 1913+
GRAVENER W J H 1922-30+
AUSTIN Benjamin 1934-38+
WELLER Darren Sterling Oct/2022+
https://pubwiki.co.uk/KingsHead.shtml
From the Pigot's Directory 1828-29
From the Pigot's Directory 1832-33-34
From the Kelly's Directory 1903
Census
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