34-36 Middle Wall

Whitstable

01227 273056

https://www.smackwhitstable.co.uk/

https://whatpub.com/smack-inn

Above photo from the 1953 floods where it is said there were 45 appliances from all over Kent used to pump the water out of Whitstable. Kindly sent by Tim Timpson.

Above painting October 1926, by the artist J H Woodman who lived opposite between 1914 and 1958. Kindly sent by Roger Woodman.

Above photo 2010 by Chris Whippet Creative Commons Licence.

Above pictures taken from www.beerintheevening.com 2014.

Above sign left, July 1991, sign right 2010. With thanks from Brian Curtis www.innsignsociety.com.

Above sign 2018.

Above photo, 2018.

Above photo, circa 2015.

Above photo, 2024, kindly taken and sent by Michael Harris.

The sign is dedicated to those little fishing boats which packed the harbours of Kent in their hundreds until the Great War brought about the ruin of the fishing fleets.

The premises was originally built as a pair of houses for fisherman around about 1830 on land that had been reclaimed.

Originally just a cottage where beer could be drunk and only held a beer license.

John Whorlow, an ex-sailor extended the original building in 1880 and was bought by Shepherd Neame who financed the extension.

The original building was rebuilt in the early years of the 20th century and about 100 years later in March 2015, after another renovation costing £100,000 it was under the help of licensee Chris Smythe.

I am informed that the landlady retired in November 2014, and as there was no replacement waiting, Shepherd Neame may have closed the pub.

You can usually tell those Shepherd Neame tied houses that the brewery apparently has little interest in... Their pub signs still show (August 2017) their old in my mind preferable design and not the computer generated black and white ones, of which are often identical for similar named pubs in different towns.

I am informed though that the pub is still open for business (April 2018.) Although it doesn't appear to be advertising Shepherd Neame any longer although it still sells their beer range.

LICENSEE LIST

WHORLOW John 1880+

LONGBOTHAM William Thomas 1881-91+ (also Mariner age 53 in 1891)

SHOFFLE/SHUFFLE Stephen 1901+ (age 60 in 1901)

PRETT Albert Austin 1911-13+ (also mariner age 41 in 1911)

FOREMAN Josiah 1918+

BAXTER William Richard 1922-29+

SHILLING O 1924-30+

TOPHAM Gertrude E M to Mar/1936

AUSTIN Frederick Mar/1936-39+ (age 38 in 1939)

SMYTHE Chris 2015+

DIAMENT Christian 2019+

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

Census

Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald

From the Kelly's Directory 1924