GUY EARL OF WARWICK Pub of Welling

DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Page Updated:- Wednesday, 29 November, 2023.

PUB LIST

PUBLIC HOUSES

Paul Skelton

Earliest 1816-

Guy Earl of Warwick

Open 2020+

Park View Road

Welling

020 8303 4262

https://whatpub.com/guy-earl-of-warwick

Above photo, circa 1890, from https://boroughphotos.org/bexley

Above postcard, circa 1895, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above postcard, 1910. Showing the Hope Lodge which became a private school which was next to the pub.

Above postcard, 1910.

Above photo, showing their garden circa 1910, from https://boroughphotos.org/bexley

Above photo 2005.

Above photo 2006 by Dave Patten Creative Commons Licence.

Above photo 2008, by Steve Thoroughgood.

Above sign left, 1985, sign right, August 1992.

With thanks from Brian Curtis www.innsignsociety.com.

I have also seen this pub addressed as being in Bexley, but that's probably just the parish boundary or council area location.

The present "Guy Earl of Warwick" was built in 1926. The old pub, which was demolished, stood west of the present building on part of the site of John Newton Court (housing). Licences for it can be traced back to 1730. The pub was enlarged in 1792. Adjacent to this pub was the equally ancient Hope Lodge which became a private school. When that moved around 1800 the buildings and pleasure gardens were merged with the pub.

When building work on McKinlay Court (housing) began - on the site of the former pub's extensive garden - evidence of Roman activity was discovered (a small hut, wells, and a small cemetery).

From the Times 10 August 1816.

Welling. Kent. To Brewers, Stage-coach, and Post-Masters - By T. Strong, on the Premises, on Thursday, August 22nd, at two precisely, by order of the assignees of Isaac Dixon.

The Valuable lease, of 21 years from Michaelmas 1816, of that well-established, well-known, and accustomed Inn the "Guy Earl of Warwick, situate at Welling, only 10 miles from London, and a number of stage coaches change horses daily, excellent stabling, yard, extensive and beautiful gardens stocked with abundance of the choicest fruit trees, fresh pond stored with fish, and several enclosures of exceedingly rich land, containing, more or less, 10 acres, with detached farm yard, barn, stable, and conveniences, the whole lying within a ring fence, and, taken as a whole, has scarsely its parallel. At the same time will be sold, the lease, 4 years at which will be unexpired at Michaelmas next, of a large yard, stabling for 20 horses, barn and granary, and 2 acres of good land, subject to a very low rent, opposite the above; also the Lease for a term of years at low rent, of 11 acres, more or less, of very rich land, lately cultivated and improved at an immense expense, situate on the high road, about a quarter of a mile from the foregoing; the growing crops of wheat, potatoes, barley, and oats, all very fine, will be sold at the same time. Particulars, with conditions, 7 days prior, at the "Half Moon," Borough; "Green Man," Barnet, "White Hard," Romfield, "Bell," Bromley, "Oak," Sevenoaks, "Bell," Maidstone, "Bull," Shooters-Hill, "Prince of Orange," Gravesend, "George and Bull," Dartford, Crown Inn," Rochester, "Rose," Sittingbourne, "King's Head," Canterbury, "Ship," Dover, all the Inns in the neighbourhood; of Thomas Flexney, Esq., solicitor, 6 Gray's Inn Square; Thomas Walker Esq., solicitor, Dartford; and of the Auctioneer, Kent Fire office, Welling.

From the Times 16 August 1816. Isaac Dixon

The Creditors, who have proved their debts under the commission of bankrupt awarded and issued forth against Isaac Dixon, of Welling, in the county of Kent, inn-keeper, dealer, and chapman, are requested to meet the Assignees of the said Bankrupt's Estate and Effects, on Wednesday the 21st of August instant, at at 12 noon precisely, at the "Guy Earl of Warwick, at Welling aforesaid, to take into consideration the most advantageous manner of selling and disposing of the lease of the said public-house called the "Guy Earl of Warwick," and the premises held therewith, and lately in the occupation of the bankrupt; also to authorise the Assignees to carry into effect any contract or agreement for that purpose, and upon their special affairs.

South Eastern Gazette 30 June 1857.

The old and well established "Guy Earl of Warwick Inn," situate in the village of Welling, with good stabling, coachhouse, enclosed yard, and large kitchen garden in the rear, let to Mr. W. E. Hunt, at £40 per annum. A capital Private Residence known as Hope Lodge, with pleasure grounds in front, and overlooking Dansen's-park, containing sundry bed-chambers, good drawing and dining-rooms, with ample domestic offices, coach-house, stabling, cow-house, small paddock, and large productive kitchen garden, let to Mrs. Taylor, at £50 per Annum: two valuable enclosures of building and accommodation land, part fronting the high-road to Dover, close to the village of Welling, and the remainder abutting on Stockwell-lane, with small farm premises thereon, the whole containing nearly 15 acres, and presenting the most beautiful sites for the erection of villas, let to Mr. Barton, as yearly tenant, at £53 8s. 9d. perm annum; also three cottages, situate close to the "Guy Earl of Warwick Inn," and fronting the main street, let to various tenants, and producing £19 10s. per annum.

South Eastern Gazette,10 January, 1860.

BROMLEY.

At the Patty Sessions, held at the "Bell Inn," on Monday, before Lord Sydney and five other magistrates, the following licenses were transferred:—

The "White Hart," Orpington, from Thomas Hayward to James Bruce.

The "Five Bells," Chelsfield, from Mrs. Sarah Jones to James Saker.

The "Guy, Earl of Warwick," Welling, from Henry Bartlett to W. K. Tritton.

There was no police business.

Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser 23 September 1904.

BOY SHOT BY HIS FATHER.

Mr. H. B Sewell at the Baptist Schoolroom, Broadway, Bexley Heath, on Wednesday evening, held an inquest touching the death of Frederick Henry Prisford, aged nine years, son of Frederick Prisford, landlord of the "Guy Earl of Warwick" public-house at Welling. The father said that on Sunday evening at about six o'clock a man named Brazier brought a wild rabbit in his pocket and asked him to shoot it. After tea they went out into a meadow at the back of the house with his two little boys and a man named Collins. They took two dogs. Prisford went on to explain that he told the boys to look after the dogs and to stand near a fence. Brazier took the rabbit out of a bag and Prisford fired, missing it with both barrels. The rabbit ran into a bed of stinging nettles. Prisford reloaded his gun, and after some time, the men having driven the rabbit out again, he fired another another shot, and still missed. When just about to fire again the boy Frederick, who was standing behind him, walked round witness and ran in front, falling to the ground, having received the full charge of the gun. Witness dropped his gun and ran up to the boy and carried him indoors. Both Brazier and Collins informed the coroner that the father had told his son to stand near the fence. The coroner thought that sufficient care had not been taken to see that the lad was kept out of danger. The jury returned a verdict of death from misadventure, and expressed deep sympathy with the parents.

From the Australasian (Melbourne) 25 October, 1924.

HISTORIC INN BEING DEMOLISHED.

Links with Dick Turpin and the press-gangs, the historic hostelry, the "Guy Earl of Warwick Inn," at Welling, Kent, England, is being demolished. According to tradition, Wat Tyler, leader of the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 had his last drink In this house. The photograph shows one of the secret chambers, where men hid from the press-gangs.

From the https://www.newsshopper.co.uk By Joe Dempsey, 16th June 2018.

One man has been arrested on suspicion of drink driving after a crash outside a pub in Welling.

Police were called shortly after 10.30pm yesterday night (June 15) outside the Guy Earl of Warwick pub on Park View Road.

From an email received 25 January 2020.

I remember the landlord in late 1960s and 1970s was Reginald Holton and his wife was Joyce.

The garden was so well kept and there was a private garden with a circle of white stone miniature houses, lots of fruit and veg was grown, it was a busy pub then, now the garden is small as the land has been sold for housing.

Patricia Turner.

From an email received 29 March 2020.

Thomas Gardner/Gardiner married at Kennington 2 December 1857. He is recorded as having several jobs, all unconnected to the Licensed trade. He was a Greengrocer, living at 4 and later at 14 South Lambeth. These would have faced the high Railway Viaduct leading to Waterloo and, it would seem, demolished when the Viaduct was widened. South Lambeth was and is a road. These premises were close to where Vauxhall Underground Station is now situated.

Thomas was still in Kennington, Surrey, in 1873 (death of daughter Julia Annie Gardner 7 April 1873.) He was in Green Street Green, Stone, by 26 September 1874 (birth of daughter Julianna Lovett Gardner 26 September 1874.) He was described as a Licensed Victualler and Kelly’s Directory of the Six Home Counties (1874 Volume 2) shows him to be the Licensee of the “Ship”. Thomas was still there on the 8 July 1876 (birth of son Albert William Gardner.) Still described as a Licensed Victualler.

The Census of 1881 (RG11 860/79) shows him to be the Licensee of the “Guy Earl of Warwick” in Welling. Rate Books, kept by LB Bexley, show him to be at the “Guy” from 1878 to 1883.

The Hastings and St. Leonards Directory (Pike) of 1885 (compiled 1884?) shows him to be at “The Cutter,” East Parade, Hastings (on the seafront.) Subsequent Directories show him at that address to 1889.

It is interesting to speculate as to whether the move from Vauxhall was prompted by the widening of the viaduct and thus the demolition of that terrace of shops/houses.

I know no more about Thomas, earlier than the day on which he got married, than I did when I started on the family history in 1967. His daughter, Lily, born 27 May 1867 and died Tunbridge Wells aged 100 years and 6 months, was my Grandmother.

Don Foster.

In 1996 there was a threat to change the name of the pub to the "Ferret and Trouser Leg," however, Bexley borough's three MPs were urged by the council to sign an Early Day Motion in the Commons calling for pub name changes to require planning permission. I guess the renaming never occurred as I have found no evidence of it to date.

LICENSEE LIST

DIXON Isaac 1798-Aug/1816

BAILEY Thomas 1826+

STEWART George 1832-34+