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Sutton Road/Stone Street
Broadway
Maidstone
Above photo 1937. Kindly supplied by Rory Kehoe. |
Above photo, date unknown. |
Above photo, 1955, kindly sent by Nick Spurling. |
Above Photo pre 1957. The old pub is on the right, the replacement is on
the left. |
Above showing coloured version, pre 1957. |
Above photo 1971, kindly sent by Barbara Williams. |
Above photo, date unknown. |
Above photo showing the bar in August 1957. |
Above photo showing the bar in August 1957. |
 
Above sign left, 1967, sign right, date unknown.
With thanks from Brian Curtis
www.innsignsociety.com. |
There is reference to a pub with this name that goes back to as early as
1802, addressed as Broadway. However, it seems to have changed name several
times before reverting back tot his name again.
I am informed that the original building was demolished in 1957 to make way
for a new one with the same name.
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Kentish Gazette 19 February 1802.
Yesterday se'nnight, the following melancholy circumstance
occurred at the "Blue Door" public house, in Maidstone:-
Two men, who had been up all night watching rabbits, under the
direction of Earl Romney's game-keeper, were sitting in the settle,
whilst the game-keeper, who came in, went backwards to paunch one of
the rabbits they had taken; in the interim, the landlord of the
house, Thomas Munn, who having been for some time in a deranged
state of mind, took up the game-keepers loaded gun, from the place
where he was accustomed to leave it, and suddenly presenting it at
one of them, named ------ Swift, fired, and lodged its contents in
his right breast.
The poor man died instantaneous. That evening the following the
Coroner's jury sat upon the body of the deceased, and brought in
their verdict.
Lunacy.
Munn has since been sent to London, and lodged in a place of
security.
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Maidstone Journal, 4 January 1842.
DEATH.
Dec. ??, at the "Blue Door," Broadway, Mary Ann Bridger, aged 17
years.
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From the Kentish Gazette, 14 November 1843.
DEATH.
Nov. 2, at the "Blue Door Inn," near Maidstone, Mrs. Clapson aged 83.
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From an email received 14 October 2014.
Hi,
My name is Barbara Williams and I was born in the "Blue Door" pub in
Sutton Road, Maidstone (February 1971). My parents were Trevor James
Williams & Rita Barbara Williams. Whether they were the licensees is
unclear as they married in 1968 and ran their first managed pub at the
"Nags Head" in Covent Garden (from there they went to The "Dandy Roll"
in Bread Street near Fleet Street, London), ending up at the "Blue
Door." When exactly they moved in is unclear but I will endeavour to
find out (definitely there by February 1971, but by December 1972 they
had moved as this was when my sister was born).
Not sure if any of this information is useful to you, but I wish you
luck with your quest.
Best regards,
Barbara. |
Local resident Alan says the following:- The "Blue Door," Sutton Road,
Maidstone at its junction with Willington Street was known to me growing up
in Maidstone. It was originally called the "Bell Inn," I suppose as it was
in the area of Bell Shaw and Bell Wood and at sometime changed name to the
"Blue Door."
It then changed its name several times, after refurbishments and to
change its image from the cliental it attracted. These names were The "Blue
Bell," The "Broadway
Belle," The "Mulberry Bush."
A bigger and modern Pub was built around 1960 when the
huge council estate called Shepway was built but the new pub was demolished
in 2007 to make way for an unsightly Private Residential Home called Ashley
Gardens Care Centre.
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From the Gazette, Saturday, March 20th 1937.
THERE’S A TAVERN IN THE TOWN.
No. 25 – THE BLUE DOOR, SUTTON ROAD, MAIDSTONE.
The Blue Door, although within the boundaries of the Borough of
Maidstone, is unique in that it is the only Tavern in the Town,
which is still lit by oil lamps. It has no gas, electricity or water
supply. Water is still drawn from the well in the garden and to add
to its rural amenities, the Blue Door is surrounded by fields and
woods. But these things do not worry the host, Mr William Croucher.
On the contrary, he likes them as do his many customers and friends,
both those who motor to the Blue Door or those who walk there and
who find in this tavern with its old-world atmosphere, wood fires,
and country surroundings a place for pleasant relaxation.
The Blue Door is probably the only tavern in the country so called.
But this was not always its name. It used to be called The Bell. And
there hangs an interesting tale. Mr. Croucher has been landlord of
the inn for about 19 years but before his time there was a landlord
of pronounced political views.
POLITICAL RIVALS’ JOKE.
During an election this landlord awoke one morning to find the door
of his saloon bar painted with blue stripes, blue being the colour
of the political party to which the landlord was opposed. But the
landlord was evidently a man who could see a joke, so he said “Very
well, if my customers prefer the door that colour they shall have
it.” So he had the door painted a nice light blue all over and it
has always since remained that colour: all the rest of the doors in
the tavern also being blue.
The name of the house remained The Bell until about seven years ago,
when the brewers, found that everyone knew it as the Blue Door, so
they had the name changed and put a new sign.
A fine pen and ink sketch of this tavern as it was years ago hangs
in the saloon bar. It was drawn by Mr Gilbert Inwood, a nephew of Mr
Croucher, when he was only a 15 years old.
FISH BAROMETER!
Here is another strange feature about the Blue Door. It is the only
tavern which has a fish as a barometer!
The fish is a Sun Fish from Chinese Waters and hangs in the public
bar, a fierce some looking object. But Mr Croucher claims it is an
infallible weather prophet. When rain is due its prickles drip with
water, but they soon dry up when the fair weather is about.
This fish used to hang in the Old White Hart in Maidstone, but when
the licence of that house was done with it was transferred to the
Blue Door.
Mr Croucher used to be in the market garden business at Rainham. His
favourite sport is shooting. At one time those engaged in shoots on
the surrounding estates used to make the Blue Door their resort.
The Blue Door is an ancient house and contains many oak beams. |
LICENSEE LIST
AVARD William 1881+ (also farmer age 20 in 1881 )
REEVES William 1891+ (age 35 in 1891)
CROUCHER William 1932-44 dec'd
HOLE Vic 1954-late 60's
WILLIAMS Trevor James & Rita Barbara Feb/1971+
http://www.closedpubs.co.uk/bluedoor.html
Census
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