50 Spital Street

Dartford

Above photo, circa 1920, kindly sent by Michael Norman.

Above photo, 1984, kindly sent by Philip Dymott.

Above Google image, June 2016.

Obviously looking at the 1920s picture this was a Russell's tied house, selling their famous Shrimp Brand beers. Wonder of they tasted "fishy?" They were taken over by Truman, Hanbury & Buxton Co. Ltd. in 1930.

The original building was a weather-boarded building that was demolished and rebuilt between 1905 and 1907 and unfortunately closed in 1989 and the building demolished but a new building erected with the original facade shortly afterwards.

During Victorian times the pub was frequented by the Dartford Volunteers whose armoury was in the nearby Kent Road.

It is suggested that the pub was originally called the "Magpie" later taking its name from the stone mason's yard next door.

When the second rebuild happened in 1990 archaeologists found a broken Victorian gravestone that had obviously been thrown away by one of the masons. They also found a 2000 year old Roman rubbish pit that contained the skeleton of a foetus that had been thrown there.

See Dartford Map 1905.

LICENSEE LIST

COLLETT Elizabeth Mrs 1874+

HOLLIS Stephen 1882+

PORTER Albert 1903-18+

PORTER Thomas 1922-29/Dec/49 dec'd

INMAN Mr & Mrs B C 1951+

BAILEY G D 1988+

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

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