PLOUGH AND HARROW Pubs of Tilmanstone

DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Page Updated:- Monday, 23 December, 2024.

PUB LIST

PUBLIC HOUSES

Paul Skelton

Earliest 1850s

Plough and Harrow

Open 2024+

Dover Road (Lower Street 1891)

Tilmanston

https://www.ploughandharrowtilmanstone.com/

https://www.facebook.com

https://whatpub.com/plough-harrow

Above photo by Paul Skelton, 26 Nov 2011.

Photo kindly supplied by the Ian and Christine Jamieson, showing John Tritton and Elizabeth Wyatt, her daughter Emma can just be seen at the window on the right. Circa 1910.

Outside the Plough and Harrow, date circa 1930.

Above photograph circa 1960, kindly supplied by Terry Wheeler of the Ramsgate Historical Society.

Above photo, 1970, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above photograph 1986, kindly supplied by Kathleen Hollingsbee. She says that the conservatory restaurant had only just been added at the back.

Above photo taken from a picture hanging inside the pub, date circa 1980.

Above painting supplied by Ian and Christine Jamieson, painted by JwR, date unknown.

Both pictures above are by Tony Wells (2007).

Above photos 10 August 2008 kindly sent by Kathleen Hollingsbee.

Sign above by Paul Skelton 1 May 2010.

The pub building was built around about the 1850's and now under the Shepherd Neame brewery is operating as a country pub and guest house.

Also selling food the pub welcomes ramblers and walkers and has a bar billiards table and two bar billiards teams. (2007)

The pub has ample car parking facilities and a beer garden.

Accommodation at the guest house is 4 rooms, with 1 double, 1 single, 1 family and 1 twin room.

From the Dover Express and East Kent Intelligencer, 3 September, 1880. Price 1d.

APPLICATIONS

Mr. Mowll, solicitor, of Dover, said he was instructed by Messrs. Gardner and Co. Brewers of Ash, to ask permission of the Magistrates to pull down the public-house at Tilmanstone known as the "Plough and Harrow," and erect a new one in its stead. It was at present only a beer-house, and he had therefore to apply to the Bench to grant them a license to sell spirits.

Mr. Edward W. Fry, surveyor and architect, said he had prepared the public plans produced of the house which was proposed to be built, the erection of which would cost £700.

In answer to Mr. D'Aeth, Mr. Gardener (a member of the firm) stated that if the house were fully licensed a new tenant would be found to attend to the business solely, and not go out to work as the present one did. If a spirit license was granted it would not interfere with any other house in the district. There were no fully licensed houses along the main road from the "Coach and Horses" at Eastry to the "Royal Oak," Whitfield, a distance of between six or seven miles.

Mr. Minter, of Folkestone, appeared on behalf of the owner and occupier of the "Three Ravens" public-house, Tilmanstone, to oppose the application on the ground that additional accommodation was not required.

George Atwood, landlord of the public-house mentioned, deposed that the "Three Ravens Inn" was five minutes walk from the house proposed to be erected. He believed the population of the parish had decreased of late, and did not consider that the traffic had increased.

The application was refused.

Canterbury Journal, Kentish Times and Farmers' Gazette, Saturday 15 September 1894.

WINGHAM BREWSTER SESSIONS.

Thursday.— Before C. J. Plumtre Esq. (in the chair), F. Phillips, Esq., Lord Northbourne, A. N. Wollaston, Esq., and W. V. Lister, Esq.

ANOTHER APPLICATION REFUSED.

William Wright, of the "Plough and Harrow," Tilmanstone, applied for a full licence in lieu of the "on" beer licence he at present possesses.

Dr. Hardman appeared on behalf of the applicant, and Mr. M. Mowll opposed on behalf of Mr. Young, ("Three Ravens") Messrs. Gardner and Co. were the brewers.

The applicant deposed that the annual value of the house was about £18 to £20. It was about 2 1/2 miles from Eastry and 3 1/2 from Whitfield. There was a considerable amount of traffic during the summer months. There were three or four breaks running by the house daily, one from Margate and two from Ramsgate. Many people did not stay at his house because they could not get spirits, etc.

By Mr. Mowll: His rent was £15. He did not suggest that the addition was required for the parish, but for the passers by.

Dr. Hardman in addressing the Bench on behalf of the applicant, pointed out that the application was not a speculation on the part of either the tenant or the brewers, but simply in consequence of the great demands made by travellers for spirits, etc. They had heard that there was considerable traffic, and that great was the disappointment that wine and spirits could not be obtained. With regard to the opposition, Dr. Hardman pointed out that there was no objection on the part of the Temperance Party, or the occupiers of adjoining property. The opposition came from the tenant of the "Three Ravens," which house, he (Dr. Hardman) contended would not be injured at all.

Mr. Mowll called Mr. Young, tenant of the "Three Ravens, Tilmanstone, who deposed that he had seen persons sign a memorial (produced) against the granting of the proposed licence. The population of Tilmanstone had decreased during the past eight years. It now stood at 360. Witness's house was entirely free.

By Dr. Hardman:- Witness took the memorial round himself. Witness's house was a village house, while that of the applicant was a road side one. There were 14 signatures to the petition. The brakes referred to did not stop in the village. The house in question was a much more convenient one than his own.

Mr. Mowll contended that there was no proof of strong public necessity for this full licence. He pointed out that if there was such a demand on the part of travellers there was no need for them to have to wait till they got to Whitfield because they could get what they wanted at the "Three Ravens."

The bench, without retiring, decided to refuse the application.

Dover Express. Friday 12 October 1917.

Businesses to let.

"Plough and Harrow Inn," Dover Road, Tilmanstone, early and going. Apply proprietor.

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday, 4 April, 1919.

DOVER COUNTY PETTY SESSIONS

Plans for the enlargement of the "Plough and Harrow," Tilmanstone, were approved.

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday, 22 April, 1921.

The licensee of the "Plough and Harrow, Tilmanstone, applied for an occasional licence for a wood sale at Waldershare on May 11th from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. - The application was granted.

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday 7 August, 1925. Price 1½d.

NOT GRANTED

Mr. Edward T. Chapman, the licensee of the "Plough and Harrow," Tilmanstone, applied for a general order exemption permitting him to keep open for the accommodation of miners, from 6.30 to 6.45 a.am, 2.30 to 2.45 p.m., and 10.30 to 10.45 p.m. on week days, and 6.30 to 6.45 a.m. and 6.30 to 6.45 p.m. on Sundays.

Mr. G. Hardman, of Deal, who made the application, said that it arose from the fact that there were fifty pit sinkers employed at Betteshanger Colliery, and all fifty lived in Dover. They had a contract with the owner of a lorry to take them to and from Dover. They worked in three shifts of eight hours each, about 17 men to a shift. With the exception of Sundays, the hours of leaving work were such that when they passed the nearest public house , which was the "Plough and Harrow," it was closed, the lorry arriving 35 minutes approximately after leaving the pit. The licensee would put in a petition signed by the fifty men asking the Bench to grant the application. They were a hardworking section of men, and their present practice was to carry the beer on the lorry.

Edward Thomas Chapman, the licensee, put in the memorial signed by 50 pit sinkers.

Inspector Fittall, of Broadstairs, who objected on behalf of the Police, contended that there were a number of public-houses in the neighbourhood of the colliery within half a mile of the pit, whereas the "Plough and Harrow" was 4½ miles from the pit. The ground of his objection was that this house was not in the neighbourhood of the pit, and there were not at any time a considerable number of persons passing the house.

Mr. Hardman pointed out that under the Section it was not necessary for the house to be the nearest.

Cross-examined by Inspector Fittall, applicant admitted that his wife had copied out the petition from the original, and therefore it was not in the handwriting of the petitioners, because they made a muddle of it.

The Bench retired, and on their return Lord Northbourne said they declined to grant the application.

Dover Express, Friday 16 April 1937.

Tilmanstone Man's Fatal Injury.

Knocked down by cyclist.

The death occurred on Wednesday night, following an accident, of Mr. John Brown, of Rose Cottage, Tilmanstone.

Mr. Brown, who was 72 years of age, was walking from the direction of the "Plough and Harrow Inn," on the main road, towards his home in the village at about 9:30 p.m., on Sunday, when a local cyclists, Mr. F. Richards, collided with him. Mr. Brown fell heavily, and had to be conveyed home, where he was attended by Dr. G. E. Bellamy, of Eythorne. Mr. Brown had resided in the village for many years, and was well known and respected in the District. He was for about 35 years farm bailiff at New Purchase Farm, retiring from that position about 5 years ago.

From the Dover Mercury, 22 January, 2008. 60p

BACK TO THE GOOD OLD DAYS

A NIGHT of free comedy and music from the 1950s and 1960s is on offer on Saturday at the "Plough and Harrow" pub at Tilmanstone at 8pm.

Storyteller and songwriter Adrian Sullivan, known as Adrian O, will team up with guitarist Stuart Pendrill in Down Memory Lane.

Adrian said: “There will be songs and stories to take you back to the good old days.”

From the Dover Mercury, 22 January, 2009.

Lifeboat crew count themselves lucky.

Dover Lifeboat coxswain Stuart Richardson and some of his crew members receive the cash-counting machine from Ian and Christine Jamieson at the "Plough and Harrow."

THERE will be no more long hours of tedious coin-counting for the crew and supporters of Dover Lifeboat. The landlords and regulars at the Plough and Harrow pub at Tilmanstone have provided the lifeboat station with a coin-sorting and counting machine.

The unusual gift came after a conversation between publicans Ian and Christine Jamieson and volunteer RNLI crew member John Brewin.

They discussed how lucky the station was in being supported by many collection boxes around the district but how time-consuming it was to sort and count all the change.

The new machine will speed the sorting of donated coins, getting them ready for banking and allowing the crew and fund-raisers to spend more time training and undertaking other fund-raising activities.

A presentation took place at the "Plough and Harrow". Coxswain Stuart Richardson said: ''This is a great donation that will be really useful for the station.

"Nationally, the RNLl as a charity costs about a third of a million pounds to run every day, so every penny counts."

The counter had been funded by the pub's weekly bonus ball competition.

From the Dover Express, 29 January, 2009.

Pub sorts out lifeboat" gift

DOVER lifeboat is the proud owner of a new coin counting and sorting machine donated by a Tilmanstone pub.

The unusual gift followed a chat between Plough and Harrow publicans lan and Christine Jamieson and RNLI volunteer crew member John Brewin.

The trio discussed how lucky the station is to be supported by so many collection boxes, but how time consuming it is to sort and count all the change.

The machine, funded from the pub's weekly bonus ball competition, was presented at the boozer to coxswain Stuart Richardson. He said: "Nationally, the RNLI costs approximately a third of a million pounds to run every day, so every penny counts. This machine will help us count every penny."

An email received on 9 November 2011 informed me that the bar billiards table that use to be housed in the pub was returned to the league as the team unfortunately withdrew from the league in the summer.

From the Dover Mercury, 10 November, 2011. 70p

A FEAST OF FOOD, DRINK AND FUN

Advertising feature

For "Plough and Harrow" licensee Sylvia Guy, this will be her first Christmas running the village pub. And with a tasty Christmas dishes being served, she is sure to make an impression.

A mouth-watering selection of four courses is already attracting bookings for Christmas parties at the Tilmanstone pub and there is still room for reservations of small and large tables.

Among the selections are chicken liver, bacon, brandy and mushroom pâté with French toast, followed by roast turkey, a selection of deserts and coffee.

And it is for £21.50 shows exceptional value.

Sylvia has been licensee at the "Plough and Harrow" for four months, having plenty of experience in the pub trade. She has built on her existing clientele, bringing in new regulars from neighbouring villages as well as Deal and Sandwich.

And if it is your first visit, the warm, family friendly feel, with open fires and welcoming service means your first visit will not be your last.

On Christmas Day, the bar will open between noon and 3pm for pre-dinner drinks.

And on Boxing Day, a family fun day will encourage residents from near and far with activities like computer games to keep the kids, or even the adults, entertained.

By the end of December, the fashions of yesteryear will be worn on New Year's Eve for a 1970s theme party to see 2012 in with true style. "The people who drink in here love to dress up," added Sylvia.

Both events are free to enter and are open to anyone, not just locals.

From the Dover Mercury, 22 November, 2013. 80p. ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

TOP QUALITY COUNTRY PUB AND COSY GUEST HOUSE

Landlord Mark and Sylvia Guy at the The Plough and Harrow in Dover Road, Tilmanstone, Deal

Picture: Terry Scott FM2105619

THE "Plough and Harrow," at Tilmanstone, is a real country pub and guest house serving a wide selection of drinks and traditional dishes in a warm and cosy atmosphere. Landlords Mark and Sylvia Guy took over the pub, on the Dover Road on the outskirts of the village and within easy reach of Dover and Deal, 18 months ago. Tilmanstone is an old mining village and the pub was build about 150 years ago.

The well-stocked bar serves a full range of lagers and real ales. Ales are sourced from Kent's Shepherd Neame brewery - the oldest family brewery in the country - ensuring quality ales at all times.

The pub has a bar billiards table and two bar billiards teams, who Mark and Sylvia claim are nearly as old as the pub itself!

Food at the pub is nothing short of outstanding.

Mark and Sylvia try to source the pub's menus from fresh, locally produced food all the time.

Whatever your need, be it just a ‘pick me up', a salad, a roast, a pasta dish or a traditional country pub meal, Mark,

Sylvia and their team can cater for most people's needs.

They pride themselves on the fact that their produce is sourced from local farmers and keen gardeners alike, making that true English countryside feel come alive through every mouth-watering spoon or forkful.

With ample seating and great views of the pub's garden, you can take your time and enjoy your meal.

The restaurant is fully air-conditioned so you will eat in a comfortable environment whatever the weather.

The pub will be open on Christmas Day for drinks between noon and 3pm and for food between noon and 4pm.

Bookings for Christmas parties are now being taken.

Four courses are on offer, priced at £24.95 per person. Book quickly to avoid disappointment.

■ Contact Sylvia and Mark on 01304 617582.

From the Dover Mercury, 31 January, 2013. 80p. ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

PUB'S TAPAS TREAT NOT TO BE MISSED

Landlady Sylvia Guy with the new menus.

Picture: Paul Amos FM2437039

TERRIFIC tapas served at a country pub with a roaring log is just the answer to shaking off the winter blues and dismal days.

A top Shepherd and Neame chef is putting the final touches a special menu for Saturday, February 16, at the "Plough and Harrow" pub in Tilmanstone, so book as soon as possible. Landlady Sylvia Guy said: “Numbers are limited, so buy your tickets now by ringing 01304 6175821.”

The tapas, served with a glass of wine or a beer, cost just £1 and there will be a mixture of about 10 assorted dishes of food to choose from, with plenty to keep vegetarians happy.

Sylvia added: “It is going to be a great evening and also an opportunity for couples to celebrate Valentine's Day as well. Maybe there will even be a proposal of marriage while a couple are enjoying their tapas!”

The gourmet event at the "Plough and Harrow" on Saturday will also mark the start of a new menu at the village pub, which prides itself its excellent home cooked food.

Pies are a speciality and popular with pub customers, who also enjoy a variety of delicious lunches and suppers, baguettes a sandwiches, as well as the Sunday roast. There is also a large range of vegetarian and gluten-free available and arrangements can be made for other dietary requirements, where possible Sylvia said: “Katrina Hathaway is in charge in the kitchen and produces our delicious home cooking. Our fish and chips are also very popular and also available to take-away.”

The "Plough and Harrow" is in Dover Road a Tilmanstone, with its own big car park and family garden, space for 28 in the restaurant as well as 32 diners in the pub. Real ales are available and the pub also has B&B rooms.

Above photos, showing Gerri Wetherall and the pony Equine Spirit inside the pub for a drink, dated July 2016.

I have been informed (June 2017) that the pub is currently closed again.

From the Dover Mercury, 21 June 2017. By Marijke Hall.

Pub owner blocks parking by lorries.

Lorry drivers parking illegally at an old village pub have been stopped after complaints from neighbours.

The car park of the "Plough and Harrow" in Tilmanstone had become a hotspot for parking after the site became vacant and was put on the market by previous owners Shepherd Neame.

Concrete barriers were put in place by the brewery but these were removed once the site was sold and HGV drivers began parking there again.

Residents contacted Cllr Marjorie Ovenden (Con), of Lower Street, Tilmanstone, who got in touch with authorities and the new owner who immediately took action.

Cllr Ovenden said: “He was not responsible for the concrete bollards as they were rented so they were removed.

“The lorries came back and when I spoke to him he was extremely alarmed.

“He has now put in some temporary concrete planters and old agricultural machinery to block it off.

“It just shows that as soon as parties work together we can find a resolution and things can be achieved.”

She said there was a problem across the district with lorry drivers parking on private property due to a lack of proper HGV parks.

“It means landowners can’t get onto their property and the litter is expensive to clear up,” she said.

“You get human waste in bags and pee in lemonade bottles.

“With the absence of lorry parks they try to find somewhere else to park but we can’t have lorries coming into villages and parking willy-nilly on private property.”

Cllr Stephen Manion (Con), who represents Tilmanstone on Dover District Council, says there is ongoing work to tackle the problem.

“We’re hoping something can be done as it affects east Kent badly, particularly Dover and Shepway,” he said.

“Part of the problem is European lorry drivers trying to find a place to park for the minimum cost or trying to park somewhere for free.”

He said on the continent there were places for them to park every couple of kilometres for free, adding: “Maybe this is something we need to explore over here.”

Glad to say that as of July 2021 it is again open, although somewhat reduced in size inside, and the grounds have been opened up for a glamping/caravan/motorhome venue for holiday makers.

From the https://www.kentlive.news By Sam Honey, 26 Mar 2023.

Kent chef relaunching historic pub with artistic twist, camping pods and focus on affordability.

The Plough and Harrow has been closed since last October.

The Plough and Harrow will officially relaunch this April (Image: Jack Webster)

A Kent chef will be breathing new life into a historic pub near Dover which has remained closed for the best part of six months. The Plough and Harrow sits in the village of Tilmanstone, and has a history dating back 170 years.

Unfortunately, the pub had to close its doors last October, primarily due to an overall decline in trade. Now the future is looking bright for the establishment as esteemed restaurant development chef Jack Webster is bringing the pub back into action on Saturday, April 1 with a new and exciting artists twist.

“What appealed to me about this pub in particular, it’s the fact that I grew up in Barham which isn’t too far away,” Jack explained. “So, Tilmanstone is a village that I’ve known of and I’m really dedicated to that sort of area, south of Canterbury, along the A2 and Dover and the surrounding villages, that’s my main focus to save really.

“I’m so dedicated to saving Kent pubs because, nationally we’re losing about 14 pubs a week, and it’s happening quite a lot in Kent. So, I’ve made it my mission to find these places that have been here for hundreds of years but are closing and try and save them, bring back some sort of community feel.”

Jack is relaunching The Plough and Harrow as a gastropub and injecting a new artistic twist. (Image: Jack Webster)

Jack has made quite the name for himself within the food scene, having worked on celebrated pubs and restaurants such as the "Five Bells Inn" in Brabourne, the "Jackdaw" in Denton, and the "Mermaid Inn" in Bishopsbourne. He has also worked as the executive chef for the "Fleur de Lys" in Dorchester-on-Thames and the "Old Coach and Horses" at Harbledown.

Discussing his plans for the revival of the "Plough and Harrow," Jack said: “I’m relaunching it as a gastropub with a new interior design. There will also be an art gallery for local artists, and I’ve already got a lot of artists involved who wouldn't necessarily get the opportunity to get their pieces shown in the very few galleries that we have locally.

“I’m putting Kentish hops up and painting blackboard walls for the menus inside so it’ll have a real different feel as the guests come in.” Another key focus of the establishment will be its camping options.

The establishment also features six high quality glamping pods (Image: Jack Webster)

He continued: “There’s six high class glamping pods, which are really reasonable, looking at about £35 a night - that will slightly rise in the summer. Then there’s seven electric pitches for campervans as well, so it’s got a real country pub feel that can be very, very busy I’m hoping, with tourists and locals looking for a getaway.”

Ultimately, Jack said that the aspect of this latest project that excites him the most is the ‘high-quality, fresh and local’ food that will be on offer. “The food offering that I’m going to be bringing is going to be the best for miles and completely different from what the pub has ever offered in the past,” Jack said.

“We’ll be doing Argentinian hot stones where people can select their meats and marinades and they’ll be cooking themselves at the tables. The menu is just going to be on the wall, displayed on a blackboard, which will change every day with local, fresh food and I’ll be trying to go for the Rosette Award, while still keeping the prices incredibly low.

Though the relaunch will have a focus on delivery a high quality experience, Jack says that affordability remains at the heart of the project (Image: Jack Webster)

“I don’t want it to become an expensive fine-dining restaurant, I want it to be a local community gastropub with a good reputation, which is what I feel will save the pub.” Thanks to its spacious setting in the gorgeous Kent countryside, there are also plans for a beer and music festival to be held at the site this coming summer.

Jack added: “We’re hoping to attract absolutely everyone - I’m hoping to bring in artists, families and friends and people from the older generation that enjoy looking at art, so I’m hoping there’s going to be a good mix of people. We will be delivering high class food, local beers and giving that real pub feel that everyone loves.”

LICENSEE LIST

BOWMAN George 1871-91+ (age 54 in 1891 only listed as agricultural labourer in 1871)

WRIGHT William 1894+

TRITTON John 1901-Mar/1911