PRINCE ALBERT Pubs of Ashford

DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Sort file:- Ashford, October, 2024.

Page Updated Ashford:- Thursday, 10 October, 2024.

PUB LIST

PUBLIC HOUSES

Paul Skelton

Earliest ????

Prince Albert

Closed 2008

109 New Street

Ashford

Above photo kindly sent by Peter Moynahan, date unknown.

Above photo, circa 1963, from Tel Terry.

Above photo, 1970.

Above photo kindly sent by Chris Excell, 23 January 1983.

Above photo 2009 by David Anstiss Creative Commons Licence.

Above photo kindly sent by Chris Excell, date unknown.

Sign left September 1991, sign right, 2009.

With thanks from Brian Curtis www.innsignsociety.com.

Above photo showing the pub in May 2014.

Above photo 2016 by John Winder Creative Commons Licence.

The "Prince Albert" was referred to as a beer-house in the 1881 census.

For many years operating as a Westarham Ales House and later being passed over to Ind Coope.

It was included in the CAMRA good beer guide in 1986. The pub was sold in the winter of 87/88 to the family of one of the bar staff. Unfortunately, it went downhill from then onwards and eventually got bought out by the "Prince of Orange" owners.

Before being closed and boarded up in 2008, the right hand side of the building was operating as the "Prince of Orange" in the 2000s but became amalgamated prior to closure.

Demolished 2018, certainly planning proposal for mixed development. (2019)

Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald 12 February 1881.

Christopher James Stammers, aged 15, was charged with stealing a whip, value 5s. the property of Edward Batt, of the "Prince Albert Inn," NewStreet, Ashford. On the previous evening Mr. Batt stopped his van outside his premises and went in, leaving his whip in the socket. The prisoner was seen by two little boys named Edward Pratt and Edward Baker, to jump up in the van and run away with the whip. They gave information to Mr. Batt. The whip had not been found. The prisoner's history, as stated by Supt. Noakes, was an unfortunate one. His father, who was in a respectable position, had been dead some time; and his mother was in reduced circumstances and had taken a situation. She had done all she could for the boy and so had other friends, but he lived a vagrant life, and was in the habit of sleeping in an empty house in Queen Street.

He was committed for one month with hard labour, at the end of the term to be sent to a reformatory for thee years.

From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Dan Wright. 6 April 2018.

Prince Albert pub demolition set to begin in Ashford.

The long-awaited demolition of a derelict pub to make way for a new apartment block is set to begin soon.

Contractors have moved in at the former Prince Albert in New Street, which has sat abandoned since closing in 2008.

Scaffolding has been erected around the front of the site after councillors gave permission for it to be flattened in November last year.

Demolition is set to begin on the Prince Albert (1374331

Developers are to build a block of 14 two-bedroom flats over a mixed four and five-storey building on the site, which will also include a ground floor retail space.

Campaigners raised concerns about the scale of the design which was likened to an uninspiring multi-storey car park by Cllr Bernard Heyes.

He told the planning committee meeting last November: "This is nothing more than a hideous monstrosity that is totally unsympathetic to the historic Barrow Hill area.

How the site used to look. Picture: Steve Salter.

"The dark and gloomy cladding makes the building look ominous and unattractive.

"The developer says the design is robust - I think a more appropriate adjective is ‘ugly’.”

Council leader Gerry Clarkson said last year that it had been a “derelict scar” in Ashford for too long, adding the building was de-listed because it has little merit left as a historic site as many features have been lost or damaged.

How the flats at the Prince Albert site will look (1376578)

But angry nearby resident Joanna Perkin said: "Parking will remain an issue, as will the safety on this busy roundabout. I am also concerned about access to Barrow Hill while the demolition and building works are carried out.”

The plans for the apartment block - which were put forward by applicant Whitehaven Estates - were approved by 12 votes to two, with Cllr Heyes and Cllr Chris Waters voting against.

The pub was gutted by fire in 2014.

LICENSEE LIST

BATT Edward 1871-1903+ (also carrier aged 44 in 1881)

DREW Herbert E 1931-34

PEACOCK Ernest T S 1938+

HEDLEY Lee & Jane 1985-88

https://pubwiki.co.uk/PrinceAlbert.shtml

http://www.closedpubs.co.uk/princealbert.html

Census

If anyone should have any further information, or indeed any pictures or photographs of the above licensed premises, please email:-

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