Holt Street
Nonington
01304 842000
http://www.theroyaloaknonington.com/
http://www.nonington.org.uk
https://www.facebook.com
https://whatpub.com/royal-oak
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Above postcard, date unknown. |
Above picture shows the Royal Oak circa 1920. |
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Above 2 pictures shows the Royal Oak circa 1940. |
Above picture shows the Royal Oak 1950's. |
Above postcard, circa 1949, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. |
Above photograph
circa 1960, kindly supplied by Terry Wheeler of the Ramsgate
Historical Society. |
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Above photo taken 11 June 2011. |
Royal Oak sign July 1991.
Above with thanks from Brian Curtis
www.innsignsociety.com |
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Above photos by Paul Skelton 10 August 2007. |
Above photo taken 11 June 2011. |
The following
information was kindly supplied by Clive Webb, see following web site:-
http://www.nonington.com/
The Royal Oak, in the Drove, lower Holt Street, sometimes Old Street, Nonington.
"The Royal Oak" is now the only public house in the modern parish of Nonington
and the most recently licensed of the alehouses that could once be found in the
parish of Nonington.
William Wanstall junior had been the last licensee of "The Hawks Head", formerly
"The White Horse", over the hill from the Drove, as lower Holt Street is still
known, next to the church in what was then part of Church Street, now Pinners
Lane. This alehouse had closed in March, 1832, and it was not until the yearly
Wingham licensing sessions in September, 1832, that he was given a licence for
the newly built "Royal Oak".
Alehouses at this time opened at six o'clock in the morning and closed at ten
o'clock at night. With the granting of the licence he became liable to pay the
Parish Poor Rate on the premises which were owned by J. P. Plumptre, Esq., of
Fredville. Wanstall's father, William Wanstall senior, was the Parish Clerk in
the mid-1830's and was for many years listed in parish records as a shoemaker
and cordwainer initially with a house and shop premises in Easole Street but
later moving to premises in the Drove now known as now the Old Post Office which
adjoin the southern end of the present pub garden.
"The Royal Oak" became the venue for the fortnightly meetings of the Parish
Vestry, an early form of the Parish Council but with much more responsibility
for parish affairs, which had for many years, until its closure, previously met
in “The Hawks Head”. These meetings normally began at “eleven of the clock in
the forenoon” and decided on such important matters as raising revenue through
parish rates for the administration of the Poor Laws and the maintenance of the
roads within the parish.
William Wanstall was followed by John Hopper, who had previously been the
landlord of "The Redd Lyon" at Frogham which was also owned by the Fredville
estate, became licensee of "The Royal Oak" on November 1st, 1836.
The next landlord of the premises was John Nash, who took over in 1845. In
addition to being the pub landlord he was also the receiver of mail as the “Oak”
was not just an alehouse and public meeting place but also served for a time as
the parish post office. Prior to its closure “The Hawks Head” would have
fulfilled this function. The landlord of the "Oak" served as the local post
master during the 1840's and 50's until other premises came into use. John
Nash's widow, Harriet, took over as licensee on his death in 1855 and ran the
pub until handing over to Leonard Woodruff in 1870. He in turn was followed on
his death by his widow Fanny Charlotte Woodruffe.
In his memoirs taken down 1936 by Dr. Hardman, a local historian, Richard Jarvis
Arnold, born in the parish and resident there in the 1880's and 1890's recalls:
“The public houses were the Royal Oak (here Dr. Hardman noted that the pub had
"Since been rebuilt") kept by Woodruff and the Walnut Tree beer house kept by
Sheaf”. This note by Dr. Harman indicates that the "Oak" underwent alterations
at some time from the late 1890's to the early 1930's when the memoirs were
taken down. These must have been mainly internal as the building appears to have
retained its original external features including windows and doors. In January
1987 the ground floor interior underwent extensive alterations, with the unusual
horse-shoe shaped bar installed during the previous alterations being replaced.
In 1876 the widowed Fanny Woodruffe married James Stow who became the new
landlord and continuing as such until his death in
1896 when the again widowed Fanny Charlotte Stow held the licence in her own
right for the second time until giving it up in 1899, the
new landlord being William Henry Sayer.
In 1918 a cycle repair and taxi service was opened in stable buildings to the
rear of the pub by W. Sayers, the land lords nephew. When the business expanded
to include motor vehicle repairs and fuel sales he moved it to the present
garage premises in Holt Street in 1926, previously a laundry, where he continued
to run the business until he was succeeded on his retirement in 1948 by his
nephews, Charles and Arthur Betts. Since Arthur's retirement the business has
been run by his son, Terry.
Subsequent landlords included Arthur Balcombe, landlord during the Second World
War and who's daughter, Margaret, married my uncle, Frank Webb. Reg Deal and Reg
Reynolds, who's daughter Coralie still lives in the parish, were landlords
during the 1950's followed by Tony Usher and Nick Larsen during the 1960's with
Nick leaving in 1975 to be followed various managers who included Nigel Turnbull
and John Nicholson. Roy Faye became licensee at the end of the 1970's with Peter
Addis, since retired, taking over from him in 1988.
Until the early 1960's the ‘Oak' also had a tea garden, serving teas to
cricketers and the general public in a building at the end of the garden. For
many years it was the ‘local' for students at the nearby Nonington College of
Physical Education until its unfortunate closure in the mid-1980's.
Over the years the pub was leased by various brewers including; Gardeners Ash of
nearby Ash, Thompson & Wootton and Whitbread, who eventually returned the lease
to the Fredville estate so that the "Oak" is now a "free house".
As in every other parish in the country there were also beer houses in
Nonington. These were small premises, often someone's kitchen, where beer was
sold for consumption off of the premises. Water supplies were often not safe to
drink so "small beer", low in alcohol, was drunk instead.
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Kentish Gazette - Tuesday 18 October 1836.
THE ESTATE OF WILLIAM WANSTALL THE YOUNGER. NOTICE.
All Persons who have any claims or demands on the Estate of William
Wanstall the younger, of Nonington, in the county of Kent, Victualler,
who hath executed a deed of assignment for the benefit of his creditors,
are desired, within one month from the date of this notice, to send an
account thereof to Mr. Chalk, Solicitor, Dovor. And all persons who
stand indebted to the estate of the said William Wanstall are requested
to pay the amount of their respective debts to Mr. Chalk, who is duly
authorized by the assignees of the said William Wanstall to receive and
give discharges for the same.
Stephen Chalk,
Solicitor to the Assignees. Dovor, Oct. 18, 1836.
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Kentish Gazette, Tuesday 18 October 1836.
Household Furniture and Effects,
TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION, By WHITES and GOULDEN,
ON THURSDAY, the 20th of October. 1836, the HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE, GLASS,
CHINA, &c. the Property of Mr. WILLIAM WANSTALL, sen. in the Parish of
NONINGTON; consisting of four-post bedsteads nnd hangings, feather beds,
mattresses, blankets, and counterpanes; mahogany double and single
chests of drawers, dressing tables and glasses, night chair, mahogany
wardrobe, mahogany dining, Pembroke, ten, and card tables, mahogany and
painted chairs, beaufet, Kidderminster carpets and hearth rugs, mahogany
bureau, eight-day clock, pier glass, register and other stoves, fenders
and fire irons, bed and table linen, a variety of glass and china,
kitchen and washing utensils, beer casks, kneading trough, plate rack,
meat safes, brine tubs, dairy utensils, mangle, and many other useful
articles, which may be viewed on the morning of sale.
Sale to commence precisely at Twelve o'clock.
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Kentish Gazette. Tuesday 28 February 1843.
Nonington agricultural Association.
The 3rd annual meeting of this Association took place at the "Royal Oak
Inn," Nonington, on Thursday, 16th instant, where the accounts were
audited, and the officers and committee were unanimously re elected. The
members sat down to an excellent dinner at 4 o'clock, provided by Mr.
Nash, the wines were of the best quality. After dinner the chairman, Mr.
W. H. Harvey, propose the health of the Queen, which was followed by "God
Save the Queen," performed by Messrs. Holtum, Nash, and Maxted. Many
other loyal and patriotic toasts followed, interspersed with glees.
Previous to the meeting breaking up, it was resolved:- "That the
Secretary do convene a special meeting of the members to take into
consideration the propriety of petitioning Parliament for the repeal of
the malt-tax. A liberal collection was made in aid of the funds of the
"Shipwrecked Mariners' Society."
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From the Kentish Chronicle, 14 April, 1860.
NONINGTON.
T. T. Delasaux, Esq., and a respectable jury, held an inquest at the
"Royal Oak Inn," in this parish, on Monday, touching the death of William
Henry Trice, a child, who died suddenly on Friday morning. It appeared
that the deceased was taken ill at school on Thursday, being seized with
purging and vomiting, and he died during the night. From the circumstance
that another child had been taken ill in the same way, it was feared that
he had been poisoned; but a post mortem examination having been made by
Mr. F. H. Sankey, surgeon, at Wingham, it was ascertained that death
resulted from natural causes.
The jury returned a verdict accordingly.
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Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald, 22 January 1870.
NONINGTON. RABBIT SHOOTING.
On Tuesday Last the tenants on the Fredville estate with a few of their
friends, enjoyed their annual day's rabbit shooting in Frogham Wood, by
the kindness of Charles J. Plumptre, Esq., of Fredville Park, in this
parish. After a most excellent day's sport the friends adjourned to the
"Royal Oak Inn," and partook of a most sumptuous dinner, capitally
supplied by the worthy hostess in a style that reflected great credit on
her, and gave general satisfaction. The rest of the evening was spent in
songs, toasts, &c.
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From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday, 31
October 1958.
Public House Burgled
A quantity of money, believed to be over £100, was stolen from the
Royal Oak, Nonington, which was burgled in the early hours of Saturday
morning. The licensee is Mr. Charles Kerr.
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From the Dover Mercury, 1 November 2001.
Haven created from pub's watery mess.
WATER making a mess outside a pub has been put to better use with the
creation of a village pond.
Experts from Southern Water moved into Nonington and set to work
draining the area outside the Royal Oak.
They teamed up with members of the parish council and villagers to
dig the pond on a former coalfield.
"There was a lot of run-off water from the roads and fields
collecting outside the pub, making the area messy," explained volunteer
training officer Mike Phillips.
"It was decided to dig the pond as a solution. The project has really
drawn the community together and the pond will hopefully become a haven
for wildlife.
"But there is more planting to do and we shall invite pond wardens from all over Kent to a planting task day in the spring."
The photo above shows, pond warden Jail Gambrell (from left); BTCV county
manager Peter Waite and Southern Water ecologist Mike Frost at Nonington
pond.
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The pub closed for a short period in 2008, but I am glad to say it is now open
again (June 2011).
Latest news 17 November 2012, the pub appears to be for sale, but may be a
private sale.
News received June 2013 says that it has been sold and is being refurbished
heavily.
Unfortunately closed again in July 2019.
LICENSEE LIST
WANSTALL William junior September 1832-36
HOPPER John Nov 1st 1836-45
HOPPER Mary 1841+ (age 40 in 1841)
NASH John 1845-55
KERR Charles 1858
NASH Harriett 1855-70 (age 54 in 1861)
WOODRUFF Leonard 1870-Apr/73 dec'd (71 Census)
WOODRUFF Fanny Charlotte Apr/1873-76
STOW James 1876-96
STOW Fanny Charlotte 1896-99
SAYER William Henry 1899-Sept/23
HOARE William George Sept/1923-Oct/26
PURBECK Walter Henry Oct/1926+
(Formerly of
Metropolitan Police and Folkestone)
BALCOMBE Arthur 1939-45
REYNOLDS Reg 1950's
USHER Tony 1960's
LARSEN Niels Otto "Nick" 1960's-75
Owned by John H Plumptre
TURNBULL Nigel 1975+
NICHOLSON John 1975+
FAYE Roy late 70's
ADDIS Peter 1987-88
ADAMS Jim Dec'd after 1988
ADAMS Luke (Son & daughter of above) ran pub for 6 months.
NEAME Dave 4/July/2008-June/13
New licensee name unknown. June/1913-June/15
KELLY Jude June 2015+
CATHERALL Tracey 27/Oct/2015+
From the Post Office Directory 1874
From the Post Office Directory 1882
From the Kelly's Directory 1903
From the Post Office Directory 1913
From the Post Office Directory 1914
Library archives 1974
From the Dover Express
From the Deal Walmer & Sandwich Mercury
Census
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