DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Page Updated:- Sunday, 13 March, 2022.

PUB LIST PUBLIC HOUSES Paul Skelton

Earliest 1959

Royal Engineer

Closed 2003+

44 Medway Road / Twydall Green

Twydall

https://whatpub.com/royal-engineer

Royal Engineer 1961

Above photo, spring 1961.

Royal Engineer

Above photo date unknown, by Chris.

Royal Engineer 2011

Above photo 2011, from www.Flickr.com by Ben Levick.

Royal Engineer siign 2011

Above sign 2011.

Former Royal Engineer 2018

Above Google image, August 2018.

Former Engineer 2020

Above photo, circa 2020, by Kristian Sigston.

 

From http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk

The "Royal Engineer" is one of two pubs and a church that moved from Brompton to Twydall in the late 1950s. At this time much of Brompton was being redeveloped (so called slum clearances) and much of the population was moved to the new housing developments in Twydall. The Pubs (and Church) were moved to try and retain some of the old 'community spirit'.

The "Royal Engineer" moved from the Corner of Manor Street and Wood Street to Twydall Green in 1959. It closed in the early 2000s (I think) and is now (2011) scheduled to become a Chinese Restaurant. As the notice on the pub blackboard says "another one bites the dust."

 

East Kent Gazette, Friday 13 March 1959.

New Public House for Twydall.

The 12,000 people living on Gillingham's Twydall Estate are to be provided with their third modern public house, the "Royal Engineer," which is to be built at the corner of Twydall Green and Goudhurst Road.

Chatham magistrates on Friday gave their formal assent to the new public house by approving an application for a provisional transfer of the licence of the "Royal Engineer" at Wood Street, Brompton, to the planed new house.

The Wood Street premises will be pulled down to allow Gillingham Council to completely redevelop plans in the area and the owners of the public house are also prepared to surrender the licence of the "Good Intent," in Skinner Street, Gillingham.

Mr. D. O. Pepper assistant Solicitor to Gillingham Council said the council had provided in their plans that three public houses should be built in the total area. The building of the "Royal Engineer" will complete that plan.

He said that 68 flats, 52 houses and 16 bungalows had still to be built on the estate.

 

Kent and Sussex Courier on Friday 9th September 1960.

"Bull" licensee takes over new inn.

Mr. Herbert Vaughan, formally of the "Bull Hotel," Tonbridge, has taken over a new public house which continues in name only as a tradition which is 130 years old.

He is the new licensee of the "Royal Engineer," Twydall Green, Gillingham, a new house in a shopping centre of a large Council housing estate.

It replaces the old "Royal Engineer" at Brompton, Gillingham, which stood almost at the gateway of the Engineers' Barracks there and served thousands of sappers stationed there.

The new house, designed on family lines, is about 5 miles from the old one. The site of a uniform will be a rarity there.

Mr. Vaughan comes from a family of hoteliers and licensees and he succeeded his father, who had been in the trade for 45 years, at the "Bull Hotel" some years ago.

His wife, too, comes from the Breeze family, which is long connections with the trade in Tonbridge. Mrs. Vaughan's family had the "South Eastern Hotel" for about a quarter of a century, and her brother is still there.

 

I have another "Royal Engineer" listed as at 30 Exmouth Terrace in nearby Gillingham.

This one closed some time after 2003, local knowledge required for exact date please, and I am informed that it has had an extension added to the right and after closure was turned into a Chinese before being made into a Costa Coffee Shop.

 

LICENSEE LIST

Last pub licensee had VAUGHAN Herbert Cecil "Tom" 1962-12/Apr/1965 dec'd

SANDERS Richard Mid 1960s-early 70s

 

If anyone should have any further information, or indeed any pictures or photographs of the above licensed premises, please email:-

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