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3 Market Place
Faversham
01795 532668
https://www.bearinnfaversham.co.uk/
https://whatpub.com/bear-inn
Above photo circa 1890. |
Above photo, 1902, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. Pub is the building
on the extreme left. This was taken during Edward VII's Coronation
Day but was this photo taken on 26th June or 9th August? The first date
was put back to 9th August due to the King's appendicitis but many
people partied on the original date anyway. |
Above photo 1923, showing licensee Ernest Coleman, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. |
Above postcard, 1924. |
Photo by David Anstiss 2012 from
http://www.flickr.com. |
Above photo from
http://www.fancyapint.com date unknown. |
Above photo August 2024, kindly sent by Michael Harris. |
 
Above sign left, October 1991, sign right, June 1992.
With thanks from Brian Curtis
www.innsignsociety.com.
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Above photo left date
unknown. Photo right 2012. |
Above sign, 2020, kindly taken and sent by Roger Pester. |
The pub is thought to be 13th century and built with oak beams that
were originally part of a ship built at the nearby boatyard. the name
suggests that perhaps bear-baiting went on nearby.
The frontage was totally rebuilt in about 1898.
The bar still (1987) retains its three Victorian bars connected by a side
passage, a rarity in a public house nowadays. In the 1540s the doomed Thomas
Arden owned Me Beare' alehouse in the Market Place.
Licensees of the Bear Inn November 2012. Marie and Chris ???? |
Photo taken 19 February 2011 from
http://www.flickr.com
Jelltex. |
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26 March 1789.
Insured:- Julius Shepherd, Faversham, Kent, brewer.
Other property or occupiers: in Faversham: the Bear (Wm. Clark,
victualler).
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26 March 1793.
Insured: Julius Shepherd, Faversham, Kent, brewer.
Other property or occupiers: The Bear (William Clark victualler).
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From the Faversham Gazette, Saturday 13 October 1855.
An occurrence took place in the tap-room of the "Bear Inn," Market Place
in this town, on Saturday afternoon last, which had very nearly
terminated fatally, and which, it is hoped, will operate as a beneficial
warning to those concerned in it.
It appears that a man and his wife, both of whom had been drinking
freely, from some trivial cause, commenced quarrelling, in the heat of
which the woman caught up a knife, and made towards her husband, who
received her with a violent blow. As soon as she recovered herself, she
rushed at him again, and inflicted a dangerous wound in the lower part
of his person, from which great fears were at first entertained. The man
is now slowly mending.
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Faversham Gazette, 29 November, 1856.
Faversham Gazette, 20 December, 1856.
"Bear Inn," Market Place, Faversham.
JOHN SHERWOOD BEGS thankfully to acknowledge the liberal support
which he has received from his friends and the public generally
since taking the above Inn, and assures them it will always be his
study to merit their patronage and support.
Ales and Spirits of First-class quality.
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From the Kentish Chronicle 15 October 1859.
BOROUGH PETTY SESSIONS — WEDNESDAY.
(Before the Mayor and Edward Garraway Esq.)
George Saywell, of Sittingbourne, who was charged on the 12th ult. with
stealing a box of dominoes from Mr. Sherwood, of the "Bear Inn,"
Faversham, and bailed to appear this day now surrendered. After the
evidence was given, Saywell pleaded guilty, and said he had had too much
to drink or he should not have done anything of the sort. His master
gave him a good character, and he handed to the Bench a memorial
respectably and numerously signed from Sittingbourne, stating "he was
well known there, and considered to be an honest and upright character."
The Bench sentenced him to one week's imprisonment in the borough gaol.
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From the
https://www.beerguild.co.uk
POPULAR LANDLORDS SAY FAREWELL TO HISTORIC FAVERSHAM PUB.
Chris and Marie Annand with Shepherd Neame chief executive Jonathan Neame.
Pub regulars, friends and colleagues turned out in force on Monday
evening to say a fond farewell to husband and wife team Chris and Marie
Annand, who after twenty years as Shepherd Neame licensees are retiring
to Spain.
Over the space of two separate stints (2000-2005 and 2011-2019), the
popular couple have spent almost a decade behind the bar at the "Bear,"
one of Faversham’s best known pubs.
They started out as landlords at the old "Mechanics Arms," West Street in
1998 before their first stint at the "Bear." After six years at the "George"
at Newnham, between 2005 and 2011, they returned to the famous old
Market Place pub.
Chris said: “We’ve got a place in Spain, and although we don’t really
want to leave the trade, now seems a good time to make the move.”
The "Bear" is a rare surviving example of a three-bar public house, and
Chris thinks this is part of its enduring charm.
“The "Bear" is unique because it hasn’t been opened out, it hasn’t been
knocked around,” he said. “It’s Grade II listed and there aren’t many
pubs left like this. It is a real community pub in the heart of town.”
Chris puts the couple’s continuing success at the pub down to a mixture
of determination and understanding the customer.
He said: “If you stick to your guns, while allowing for change when it’s
needed, you’ll be alright. You need to give people what they want, but
under your own rules. The best advice we were ever given was when we
took on our first pub, and that advice was to treat the pub like your
own living room.”
Chris and Marie’s last day at the Bear will be April 3, but the pub will
be staying in the family. The new tenants are Lacey and Tim Stowell.
Lacey is Chris’s niece.
“Lacey has worked for us before at the "George," and she’ll be good for
the "Bear." She’ll tweak the pub a little bit, but we have a good team of
staff and I’m sure she won’t make too many changes.”
Shepherd Neame Chief Executive Jonathan Neame joined regulars at the
"Bear" to say goodbye to Chris and Marie. He praised Chris and Marie for
their “real people skills” and for helping to “sustain the beauty of
conversation.”
He said: “Chris and Marie have been a huge part of the life of Faversham
for almost 20 years. They have run the "Bear" superbly – twice – providing
brilliantly kept beer, great home cooked food, and a very warm welcome.
They are immensely popular with their regulars and it is hard to imagine
the pub without them.
“We thank them for all their hard work and wish them well in the next
stage of their lives. We look forward to welcoming Lacey and Tim as new
licensees.”
Note to Editors:
The "Bear Inn" is the oldest surviving pub in Faversham and is recorded as
trading on the current Market Place site by the mid-16th Century. It was
acquired by Shepherd Neame in 1736.
The Bear Inn is Grade II listed.
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LICENSEE LIST
CLARK William 1789-93+
HAMMOND Thomas 1823-24+
(Shepherd Neame Brewery Records)
STRAND William 1828-40+
  
(Shepherd Neame Brewery Records)
INGE James 1851+ (age 40 in 1851 )
SHERWOOD John 1856-59+
KEEM George 1871-82+ (age 41 in 1871) 
CRAWLEY John Crawley 1888+
STANLEY Thomas William 1891+
(age 43 in 1891)
SILVER Alfred Thomas 1901+ (age 27 in 1901)
SLAUGHTER James 1903+
 
WILLIS J 1908+ Guide to Faversham
WATERS Harry 1911-13+ (age 49 in 1911)
COLEMAN Ernest Albert 1922-24+
BONE Alfred 1930-38+
 
ANNARD Marie & Chris 2000-05
COOK David 2005-Nov/11
ANNARD Marie & Chris Nov/2012-Apr/2019
STOWELL Lacey & Tim (Lacey is Chriss's niece) Apr/19-20+
https://pubwiki.co.uk/Bear.shtml
From the Pigot's Directory 1824
From the Pigot's Directory 1828-29
From the Pigot's Directory 1832-33-34
From the Pigot's Directory 1840
Census
From the Post Office Directory 1874
From the Post Office Directory 1882
Swinock's Faversham Directory 1888
From the Post Office Directory 1882
From the Post Office Directory 1891
From the Post Office Directory 1903
From the Kelly's Directory 1903
From the Post Office Directory 1913
From the Post Office Directory 1922
From the Post Office Directory 1930
From the Post Office Directory 1938
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