Above postcard, date unknown, kindly sent by Patrick Harris.

Above postcard, date unknown.

The Links Hotel, Kingsdown.

Written by Colin Varrall.

One large property that no longer exists at Kingsdown was the Links Hotel, which was a resort favoured by many of the golfers visiting Deal, Walmer ad Kingsdown, primarily due to its immediate and close proximity to the Kingsdown golf course. However, the property would suffer a sudden fate during February 1935, after being extensively damaged by fire. The incident was reported in several local and national newspapers, with one newspaper reporting that ‘The Links Hotel, built right on the high cliffs at Kingsdown, near Deal, was extensively damaged by fire early today.’ The three-story building, which had 14 bedrooms had not been occupied for almost 18 months, as it had just been decorated and refurnished, and was due to be opened in a fortnight. The property had recently been purchased by a councillor of Deal Town Council, Captain E H Symonds, who was reported to have witnessed the blaze and watched in tears as fire attempted to fight the fire. The fire was described to have ‘shot into the air through the roof, and acted as a beacon for shipping in the Channel.’

The property had been advertised in an article the year before, as it was being sold by auction on Wednesday April 11, 1934, and was described as a ‘small and compact freehold private hotel known as Links Hotel’ and said to be ‘charmingly and situated adjoining the Walmer and Kingsdown Golf Links, and overlooking the English Channel.’ The auction of the property was being held by Messrs Worsfold & Hayward, in conjunction with Messrs Geo. A. McDowell & Francis. The hotel was said to be with vacant possession and would be sold at the Auction Mart, Park Street , Deal, at 3 p.m. Particulars and conditions of the sale could be obtained from the auctioneers at the offices, which were situated in Queen Street, Deal, and also at the Market Place, Dover.

It is understood the fire in the property was so ferocious that the building had to be completely demolished and was never rebuilt. Due to the properties location it would have certainly been a challenge for the Deal Fire Brigade and its fire appliances to get to the location, and the alarm was only raised when the fire was seen by people who were returning from a dance in Deal. They had been on the seafront and saw the flow of the flames in the sky. It is claimed that Deal Fire Brigade did find it difficult to cope with and fight the fire once they were on scene, mostly due to the firemen having to run their hoses over the edge of the cliff to reach a fire hydrant that was located near to the Kingsdown Coastguard Station at Oldstairs Bay, which was over half a mile away from the hotel. During the fire, councillor Symonds stated the following information to a reporter on scene, “I have spent several thousand pounds on decorating, refurnishing and putting electricity all through the building. I intended to open in a fortnight’s time and in fact, I had already secured a number of bookings.” Councillor Symonds later explained “The hotel is insured, but what is money? It is business I want.” Councillor Symonds had also been a proprietor of the "Royal Hotel," situated on Deal seafront.

Deal Fire Brigade continued to fight the blaze, but within less than an hour it was claimed the roof had started to fall in. The house must have been so damaged and beyond any repair that the decision was to completely demolished it, as the property no longer exists. Today, there is a modern golf course shop situated on the same location where The Links hotel once stood.

An old postcard showing the front and north side of The Links Hotel shows the property prior to the devastating fire. The postcard was sent to a Mrs Johnson, Heathwaite, Kingston Lane, Teddington, Middlesex on August 19, 1926, and has the following message handwritten in pen on the rear of it, 'Thanks awfully or the nice long letter. We are having a lovely holiday. Weather quite good. Come over when I come back. Heather has been kind. Am playing golf every day. Much love.’

Colin Varrall.