WALMER-CASTLE-pubs-of-Westgate

DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Page Updated:- Saturday, 07 August, 2021.

PUB LIST

PUBLIC HOUSES

Paul Skelton

Earliest 1901-

Walmer Castle Hotel

Closed Dec 2018

39 Canterbury Road

Westgate-on-Sea

Above postcard, circa 1914.

Above photo 1952. Creative Commons Licence.

Thompson & Sons ledger. Creative Commons Licence.

Above photo taken with permission from Saunders family web.

Above picture taken from Google maps July, 2012.

Above sign, May 1986.

With thanks from Brian Curtis www.innsignsociety.com.

No research done for Westgate as yet, but found one mention of the pub in the Dover Express of 1901.

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday, 12 July, 1901. Price 1d.

WALMER CASTLE AT WESTGATE

Mr. Rultey Mowll applied on behalf of Mr. A. J. Matthews for a final order in respect of some new premises he had erected at Westgate, and for which a provisional grant was made at the last Brewster Sessions.

The notice has been proved.

Mr. E. W. Fry certified that the building had been erected in accordance with the plans to which the Licensing Bench had given assent.

This was granted; and a transfer of the licence of the new house, the “Walmer Castle Hotel,” was made from Mr. A. J. Matthews to Mr. T. Randall, of Malling.

From The Dover Express, Friday, March 10, 1905.

DOVER LICENCING SESSIONS.

Adjourned sitting to-day.

Mr. Randall, landlord of the "Walmer Castle Hotel," Westgate-on-Sea," was granted an extension on Tuesday, March 21st, for a Conservative supper.

Thanet Times, Tuesday 18 October 1988.

Inquest opened on blaze youngster.

The cause of the car blaze which killed a Westgate toddler will not be revealed until the inquest resumes on Tuesday, 8th November. It was formally opened on Friday.

Two-year old Kyra Palmer, of Dunstan Avenue, was trapped in the car, which mysteriously burst into flames outside the "Walmer Castle" pub, Westgate, last Monday.

Forensic experts from Aldermaston have taken sections of the car for laboratory testing and a post-mortem examination has been carried out.

The results will be given to Thanet coroner Miss Rebecca Cobb at the inquest.

Kyra's stepfather Mr. Paul Searle, had left her strapped in his N registration Ford Cortina when he went into the pub to collect her mother, Mrs. Susan Dann.

He had been in the pub for a couple of minutes when the landlord, Mr. Doug Sinclair, saw the car engulfed by flames.

Mr. Sinclair, a former firemen, ran to the car and smashed the windscreen with a bar stool.

He managed to reach the toddler in the back seat of the blazing car but could not free her as she was trapped in a baby harness.

Mr. Peter Gurney and Mr. David Frederick, who were working in the Westgate service station opposite the pub, saw the blaze. They grabbed seven fire extinguishers and ran across Canterbury Road to put out the blaze, fearing an explosion.

They were helped by P.C. Stephen Wyatt, who was passing in a patrol car, but their attempts were too late to rescue the toddler.

Mr. Searl was taken to Thanet hospital with burns to his face and hands. Mrs. Dann was also taken to hospital suffering from shock.

The Ford Cortina which has been examined by forensic experts.

From the https://www.dailymail.co.uk By Daily Mail Reporter, 21 August 2012.

'Don't worry, I'm not after your blood': Pub landlord accused of being a vampire after family in the Philippines spread rumours he is one of the undead.

Pub landlord from Kent faced bizarre allegations that he was a bloodsucking vampire.

Philippine wife's aunt spread rumours after he refused her a loan.

Island village chief calls meeting to clear his name.

Undead?: Pub landlord John Teagle, who was accused of being a vampire at his wife Elsa's village.

A pub landlord accused of being a vampire by superstitious villagers in the Philippines has finally won a battle to clear his name.

For the last five years John Teagle, the landlord of the Walmer Castle Pub in Margate, Kent, has been viewed with suspicion by the residents of Argawanon, on Cebu Island in the Philippines.

Werina Onpoc, the aunt of his wife Elsa, who was born on the island, spread the vicious rumour after he refused to lend her cash in 2007.

The 68-year-old dad-of-three, who married Elsa after meeting her 23 years ago through a lonely hearts ad, was shunned after the aunt told local radio that he was a ‘descendant of Dracula’ and drank the blood of children.

The aunt even told villagers that scars on Mr Teagle’s body - caused by operations to treat colon cancer - were wounds he suffered as he bolted from police hunting him for being one of the undead.

Mr Teagle, who owns a holiday home on the island and regularly visits, said: 'It made me laugh at first - then I realised how serious it was.'

Now his ordeal is over after Argawanon's Barrio Capitan - a kind of councillor - stepped in after the radio broadcast inflamed the situation.

He interrogated the aunt and others who had made the claims against Mr Teagle at a 500-strong ‘council meeting’ on the island. The chief reprimanded those responsible for the vampire rumours and ordered them to stop.

Mr Teagle said he was ‘very relieved’, but fears that some villagers still have a sneaking suspicion that he is a supernatural creature of the night.

He told the Thanet Times: 'They were severely reprimanded but it still left a very bad taste.

'The deed was done. It’s gone away a lot now, but it’s not dead.'

Elsa Teagle said that villagers in the Philippines thought he was coming over from the UK to 'suck their blood' and take it back to the UK to sell to other vampires.

The 49-year-old schoolteacher has three children with John including 22-year-old John Jnr, who helps run the pub, 21-year-old university student Oriana and schoolgirl Asia, 16.

VAMPIRES AND THE PHILIPPINE ISLAND OF CEBU.

Cebu, situated in the middle of the islands, is the most densely populated of the Philippines.

It is just 250 km from north to south and 45 km across at its widest point

Its eastern coastline is popular hub for divers and the island's largest city, Cebu City, has an international port

Filipinos are known for being superstitious and the existence of Aswang, vampire-like creatures, is a centuries-long legend throughout the islands

While many use it as a story to tell children, some adorn their homes with garlic bulbs to keep them away

Mysteries, including kidnapped children, and tragedies such as miscarriages, are blamed on Aswang by the superstitious

She said: 'Many of my family - including my mum and dad - still live on the island and it has been very difficult for the last five years after John was accused of being a vampire.

'Some people are very ignorant and when my aunt watched a vampire film on TV five years ago she thought it made everything true.

'She thought John was coming over to Argawanon to suck the blood of the villagers and then take it back to Britain to sell to other vampires.

'She read about a lack of blood supplies in the UK and put two and two together and came up with five.'

She added: 'It is causing a lot of friction in the family and some villagers still believe John is a vampire even though the priest has told them he is not and that vampires do not exist.

'It is very difficult for everyone, but the village is very superstitious and the rumours will take a long time to go away.'

Last week Mr Teagle and Elsa were visited by Father Ely Suico of St Vincent’s Parish in Bogo City, who had defended them during the uproar in Argawanon.

Father Suico said: 'In the Philippines there are still a lot of superstitious beliefs and lots of fears about things which cannot be seen.

'Especially now there have been films which have shown vampires, they really believe these must be true.

'I thought I must tell them about these things because it’s very unchristian.'

Changed into a Greek Tavera at the end of 2018.

From the https://theisleofthanetnews.com By Kathy Bailes, 23 December 2018.

Walmer Castle receives community asset certificate at opening of its new Greek restaurant.

Certificate presentation on the Greek Taverna opening night.

The Walmer Castle in Westgate has been presented with a certificate marking its status as an Asset of Community Value.

The presentation was made by members of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) during the opening of a new Greek restaurant at the site.

The restaurant is being run by owner John Kaites and manager Sarah Bath, who previously ran the Greek Taverna in Broadstairs. The restaurant is open from 6pm- 11pm. A New Year’s Eve special will be held with live Greek music and belly dancing, Mega Greek Meze plus a glass of bubbly at midnight for £39.95 per person.

The ground floor of the property has been a community centre since 2016, It is run by the Greek community thanks to a legacy from Jason and Daphne Mermikides.

The ‘Mermikides Community Centre’ is open to all in the Greek and wider community.

The presentation marked the ACV status which was approved in 2015 and the completion of the final phase of works with the opening of the restaurant.

A CAMRA spokesman said: “CAMRA is a voluntary organisation that campaigns for, and actively promotes real ale and pubs. Part of that campaigning involves keeping pubs at the heart of every community. It is an initiative that CAMRA is launching nationally to reduce the continuing large number of pubs that are being lost forever.

“The local branch along guide lines from CAMRA sought to hang onto pubs that were closing, the Walmer was the first ACV awarded and was prioritised because of its sad closure at the time. The new owners have taken the ACV to their hearts and seen it for what it is, a badge of honour. The ACV certificate will hang proudly in the Walmer Castle Greek Taverna. Thanet CAMRA is proud to present this to the new owners as they have certainly kept this as a valued asset for the local community and beyond, although not necessarily a pub but a community hub.”

What Pub as of 2020 state that the premises is now operating as a community centre and three flats.

LICENSEE LIST

MATTHEWS Mr A J to July 1901