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High Street
Brookland
https://whatpub.com/royal-oak
Above photo date unknown, taken from
https://theromneymarsh.net/ accessed March 2021. |
Above photo, date unknown. |
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Above drawing by S Dix, date unknown. |
Above sign 1987. |
Above photo 2017 just after it closed, kindly sent by Allan Ward. |
In the late 1100s, soon after the land of the Romney Marsh was reclaimed
from the sea, St. Augustine's Church was founded in Brookland. The
Elizabethan building which is now the "Royal Oak" was originally constructed
in 1570 adjacent to St. Augustine's as a dwelling for the parish clerk and
sexton. It remained as such until the 18th century when Jacob Ferriss was
granted a license "that he may suffer ale to be tippled in his house, but he
may not suffer ale to be dippled during divine service".
At some time during the history of this public house the name has been
changed to the "Ewe and Yew" but is
now operating as the "Royal Oak" once again. I am unsure at present of the
dates of this change.
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From the Kentish Gazette, 4 May 1774.
SEWERS.
Complaint having long been made by several proprietors and occupiers of
lands lying in that part of the level of Walland Marsh, called White
Kemp, that White Kemp Gut is not sufficiently large to carry off the
water in times of floods. The Commissioners of Sewers for the said level
are therefore earnestly desired to meet at the House of John Dorrington,
the Sign of the "Royal Oak," in Brookland on Thursday the 5th day of May
Inst. at Eleven o’clock in the forenoon, in order to survey the said
Cut, and report their opinion of the same to the next General Session of
Sewers, to be held for the aforesaid Level, on Wednesday in Whitsun Week
next coming.
By Order of the Commissioners.
J. ROLFE, Clerk.
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Kentish Gazette, Tuesday 28 June 1796.
To be sold by the highest bidder, by Thomas Warrington, in one or more
lots, at the sign of the "Royal Oak" in Brooklyn, on Tuesday the 5th of
July, 1796, precisely at 7 o'clock, the following freehold estates,
consisting of, two messuages or tenements (one of which hath been very
largely erected) together with the stables, garden, ground and about 1
acre of included land, adjoining and belonging, with the appertenances,
situate lying and being at or near a certain place, called the Flats, in
the parish of Brooklyn, and now in the several tenures or occupations of
John Rabson, Walter Clarke, and other tenants at will.
For further particulars apply to Mr. Reynolds, Attorney-at-law,
Folkestone, or Mr. Fowle, Attorney, at New Romney.
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Sussex Advertiser 13 June 1831.
SEWERS NOTICE. WALLAND MARSH.
A special session of sewers for the level of Walland Marsh and Eldington's Iiinings, in the counties or Kent and Sussex, will be held at
the house of Giles Grist, known by the sign of the "Royal Oak," at Brookland, in the said county of Kent, on Thursday, the 23d day of this
instant, June, at Ten o'clock in the forenoon.
The Jury to be returned
by the Sheriff of the County of Kent, to enquire concerning the Sewers
of, and in, that part of the said Level, which is within the said
last-mentioned County, are then and there to appear to be sworn, and
proceed upon their Inquisition. The Land lying in the several Waterings
of Jury's Out, White Kemp, the south part of White Kemp, Wainway, Saint
Thomas's Inings, Baldwin. Cheyn Gut, Bedlinghope, New Watering, and
Elderton's Inings, within the county of Kent aforesaid, will be the
particular subject of enquiry, and the Expenditors of the said Waterings,
and all, other persons having business to transact, are to, attend
accordingly.
Any Owners or Occupiers of Land, in that part of the said Level, which
is within the county of Kent aforesaid, who intend to dispute the
propriety of their Land being scotted will he required to produce at
such Session evidence of credible witnesses not interested as Owners or
Occupiers of Land, in the same Level.
New Romney, William Stringer, June 10. 1831. Clerk to the Commission.
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Kentish Gazette, 29 June 1852.
Brookland.
On Tuesday last, an inquest was held at the "Royal Oak Inn," before C.
Willis, Esq.. coroner, to enquire as to the death of William Gosbee,
labourer, when the following evidence was adduced:
William Gosbee deposed:— I am son of the deceased, who was about 6 years
old. My mother is much from home, nursing. I and a younger sister have
been with my father during the last fortnight. Last Saturday, the 12th
inst. I found my father hanging in the washhouse by a leather strap,
which was round his neck and attached to the side or rib of the stairs.
It was about 4 o'clock in the afternoon when I found him; he was dressed
as usual; he was quite dead, but not cold. I saw him last alive when I
went into dinner, between twelve and one o'clock. We all had dinner; my
father had a little water gruel, his mouth being sore. After dinner I
left home, leaving him and my sister, and I didn't return till I found
him at four o'clock. He had been poorly for some time, and has been a
cripple in one hand for many years. My grandfather died about 3 years
ago, and l left him a little property; he had relief of the pariah before
this, but not since. He didn't complain of poverty, but had appeared low
and out of spirits for some time; sometimes he was very queer and looked
wild, and it caused me to watch him. I was not easy about him; he was
attended by a medical man.
Sophia Gosbee deposed:— I am fifteen years of age, and have always lived
with my father. I left home about three o'clock on Saturday afternoon,
leaving my father lying down on his bed in his clothes, as he was
accustomed to do in the afternoon. I told my father that I was going to
my sister's, who lives nearly a mile from our house; he said "Very well,
you may go." I left him alone in the house. My father has had pains in
the stomach, and he took a couple of pills on Friday night. He has been
for some time very low; his money kept wasting; he has expressed fears
that his money would not last him, and that he should be obliged to go
to the parish again. Verdict, "Hanged himself, being at the time
insane."
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Kentish Gazette, Tuesday 31 May 1864.
BROOKLAND. Accident.
On Saturday an accident befell a labourer in the employ of Mr. Vincent,
of the "Royal Inn." The man was in charge of a load of coals, and was on
his road home. When in Guildford-lane and in the act of leaping from the
top of the cart, his legs became entangled in the reins, and he was
thrown under the wheel, breaking his leg in two places. He was removed
to the union, at New Romney, where he was attended by F. Wood, Esq., who
reduced the fracture.
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From the Kentish Chronicle, 4 June, 1864.
ACCIDENT.
On Saturday an accident befel a labourer in the employ of Mr. Vincent,
of the “Royal Inn,” Brookland. The man was in charge of a load of coals,
and was on his road home. When in Guildford-lane and in the act of
leaping from the top of the cart, his legs became entangled in the
reins, and he was thrown under the wheel breaking his leg in two places.
He was removed to the union, at New Romney, where he was attended by P.
Wood who reduced the fracture.
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Kentish Gazette,25 January 1876.
PETTY SESSIONS, TUESDAY.
Before W. D. Walker and W. W. Knight, Esqrs.
Samuel Sims, landlord of the "Royal Oak," Brookland, also summoned
for having his house open for the sale of liquors at an unlawful
hours, on the 24th December, was fined 5s., costs, 16s. 3d., and
seven men found in the house were fined 3s. 1d. each, including
costs.
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From the Kentish Express, 26 September 1908.
Licensing Business.
The Licensing Justices, Lieut.-Colonel Cheesman presiding,
considered the plans for the alterations to the "George Hotel,"
Ashford. Mr. H. J. Bracher "explained that it was proposed to
lighten the dark room and passage on the ground floor, to knock down
the wall on the left side, and to substitute a partition for the
wall on the other aide, magistrates signified their acquiescence.
Temporary transfers confirmed:—
"Royal Oak," Brookland, to Geo. Pratt;
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This is a pub frequented by tourists who stop to look at the curious
detached wooden belfry at the parish church next door.
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From the telegraph.co.uk, 10 September, 2008. By Clare Ferrier.
THE ROYAL OAK, BROOKLAND; STAYING OVER
In her first review for our new column, Clare Ferrier finds superb
value and friendly service at The "Royal Oak" in Kent - just don't try to
leave...
Expect a warm welcome at the "Royal Oak," which lies on Kent's Romney
Marsh.
The "Royal Oak," Brookland: Staying over 2008
The double rooms are grandly proportioned with en suite bathrooms
Food in the stripped-wood restaurant is ok, though not outstanding
The bar was a little understaffed during Clare Ferrier's stay
There have never been many places to stay on Romney Marsh. Around it,
yes. On it, no. Visitors were perhaps put off by the prospect of falling
into a giant dyke, such as Jury's Gut Sewer, catching marsh ague or being
caught in crossfire between smugglers and blockade men. So hats off to
David and Zara Rhys-Jones — yes, he's Sophie's brother — for taking over
the pub in Brookland, on Walland Marsh, two years ago and opening two
rooms as well.
I was impressed by the swift, good-humoured responses to my chaotic
pre-arrival emails (Have I booked? Did I book the twin? Is late supper OK
as my friend Fi is coming on a late train to Ashford?). I was impressed,
too, on arriving just after opening time, to be greeted warmly, have my
bag taken and be offered a drink in front of the fire while waiting for
David, who then talked me through the area's highlights — the famous marsh
church next door has a stand-alone belfry, like a bionic pepper pot — and
told me the way to Ashford station.
“Wow!” said Fi, when she finally arrived for her first night away from
her two small children. “I wish we had a place like this near us.” The
stripped-wood bar and restaurant were festooned with jolly fake hops and
buzzing with diners. Our room had slipped sideways since the inn started
life as a private house in the reign of Elizabeth I (it got an ale licence
later, partly so that it could be used for tithe suppers for the church):
two little beds, a chest of drawers and a wardrobe in muted Georgian tones
leant cosily off true. Duvet covers and sheets were crisp and white, and
there were rugs of Italian wool. There was a shower room across the
corridor. The double was even nicer, grandly proportioned, with an en
suite bathroom that we were allowed to use because the room wasn't
occupied.
It was only when we started to live a little — throwing away contact
lenses, making tea, watching telly — that we noticed some odd omissions.
No bin, for instance. No tea bags. No remote control. No soap in the
shower room.
Then we couldn't get out. Earlier, a large party had blocked the door
into the restaurant, so we brought Fi's bags through a storeroom (past a
trugful of vegetables, a good omen), but there was no handle on this side.
So we used the fire exit, negotiated a skateboard in the garden, admired
Orion wheeling overhead in the coal-black marsh skies and arrived panting
through the front door. Nobody noticed. They didn't notice us at the bar,
either. “Understaffed” murmured Fi sympathetically — she's a caterer by
trade.
The food was not bad, not great. There was a list of local suppliers on
the menu. I had braised lamb shank, which had clearly leapt a few dykes in
its time, but once you got through the athletic muscle sheath it was
tender enough. Fi had excellent Rye Bay scallops, cooked with garlic,
followed by grilled cod, which she found too buttery. The whisky and
raisin bread-and-butter pudding we shared was a bit bouncy. We liked the
choice of three house reds and three house whites; she had a good
sauvignon blanc, I had a Chilean tempranillo, not as chunky as I was
expecting, but it worked with the lamb.
We slept the sleep of (a) someone woken every night for three years and
(b) someone who has spent all day in marsh churches, only to be flummoxed
when breakfast consisted of cereal, toast and... well, cereal and toast.
We were too weedy to demand Whitstable kippers and lamb sausages, and it
was only later that we found a note on the website saying that cooked
breakfast had to be ordered.
The "Royal Oak's" rates are roughly half those of its nearest rivals;
our bill for everything came to about £120. Fantastic value, and the staff
couldn't be friendlier, but I'd put the price up by a tenner, include
breakfast and mend the handle on that door.
Service (out of five) 4
Accommodation 3
Food and drink 3
Value for money 5
The Royal Oak, Brookland (01797 344215, charges from £60 to £70 a room
and about £30 a head for dinner, excluding wine. Breakfast £5-£7.50.
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From thisiskent.com Thursday, 6 December 2012. By Mike
Sims
TIME CALLED ON PUB RUN BY PRINCE EDWARD IN-LAW-law
IT SEEMS having royal connections is not enough to protect a business
from the credit crunch – a Marsh pub run by Prince Edward's brother-in-law
has shut.
The "Royal Oak," in Brookland, was recently renovated but has now called
last orders.
According to the national media, the pub and four-star B&B – which has
five rooms and has been trading for more than 270 years – has closed its
doors due to financial problems.
A piece in the Daily Mail last week claimed former amateur racecourse
commentator David Rhys-Jones and his wife Zara had run up debts of more
than £100,000, having taking over the lease in 2006.
Mr Rhys-Jones, 49, is the brother-in-law of Prince Edward, who the article
claimed had been known to dine at the pub after a day's shooting in Sissinghurst.
Nobody at the pub was available to comment to the Herald on the debt
claims as we went to press, but a statement on The "Royal Oak's" website
confirmed the closure.
It said: "Please note that The "Royal Oak" is currently closed for trading.
"It is hoped that the inn will re-open in the near future, but at the
present time it is not possible to make table or room reservations at The
Royal Oak."
Rooms were priced at £80-£150 per night and some have local names such as
Burmarsh and the Romney suite. No under-16s were allowed to stay at the
inn, which was built in 1570.
It has received favourable reviews in outlets such as The Daily Telegraph,
The Guardian and Country Living magazine, with the former calling it "a
great little boozer".
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From the Dover Express, Thursday, 19
January, 2013. 70p.
NEW CHEF KEEPS IT FRESH AT THE ROYAL
ROYAL APPOINTMENT: Warren Tyson and Lisa Gillam have reopened the
"Royal Oak."
WHEN Warren Tyson reopened The "Royal Oak" pub in Brookland alongside
his partner Lisa Gillam, local produce was the first thing on his mind.
The 28-year-old chef, who has worked in the catering industry since
he was a teenager, says locally-sourced food has become increasingly
popular and is now a “must” on menus.
He said: “It's good to showcase what the area has got, especially
with the flavour. What we want to do is keep it local and fresh.
“The less you do, the more natural the flavour is. We use a little
bit of butter in water to bring up vegetables slowly. We do not need to
do anything because the flavour is so wonderful.”
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Closed 31 October 2017.
LICENSEE LIST
DORRINGTON John 1774+
GRIST Giles 1831-51+ (age 56 in 1851 )
BRITT Thomas 1871+ (age 32 in 1871)
SIMS Samuel 1876+
SIMS Stephen Burgess 1881+
WHEATLEY George 1901-03+ (age 50 in 1901)
PRATT George Sept/1908+
LAMBERT Frank 1938+
KERR Kevin pre 1985
RHYS-JONES David 2006-12
TYSON Warren & GILLAM Lisa July/2013+
GILLESPIE Kevin to 31/Oct/2017
https://pubwiki.co.uk/RoyalOak.shtml
From the Kelly's Directory 1903
From the Post Office Directory 1938
Census
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