DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Page Updated:- Sunday, 07 March, 2021.

PUB LIST PUBLIC HOUSES Paul Skelton

19 Dec 2014

Lanes

Closed 16/Mar/2020

15 Worthington Street

Dover

07504 258332

https://www.facebook.com

https://whatpub.com/lanes-the

Lanes premises 1900

Above photo, circa 1900, showing the building when it was occupied by E. Lancefield Wood, High Class Boot and Shoe Maker.

Lanes May 2014

Above image from Google, May 2014.

Lanes December 2014

Above photo by Paul Skelton, 20 December 2014.

Lanes 2019

Above photo 2019.

From the Dover Express, 30 October 2014.

Micropub meets with mixed reaction.

THERE is a controversy over the opening of another micropub in Dover.

Debbie Lane of Mayfield Avenue is seeking planning approval to open the venue, to be called The Lanes, at the corner of Worthington Street and Queen’s Gardens.

Her application has met with a mixed reaction with at least 11 backing her idea while at least 11 opposing the move. It will be up to Dover District Council planners to decide.

The opposition, mainly from residents who live in the area, allege the opening of a micropub will have a detrimental effect on a residential zone.

They claim there are already four micropubs in the town, it will make car parking even more difficult, there will be noise at night and there are plenty of empty pub premises in the town where The Lanes could open.

Those who have contacted the council expressing support, including a number from the CAMRA community who say micropubs encourage civilised and responsible drinking.

They argue a micropub would be an asset to the town far more than the amusement arcade it would replace, and the opening of a shop at the corner premises where The Lanes is proposed would prove a far greater problem.

This week Mrs Lane submitted a second planning application for The Lanes.

This is for permission for nine advertising signs of which three would be for illuminated fascias.

 

The premises is a corner building and used to be an amusement arcade. It's name has been chosen after the surname of the licensee.

It may well have been built on the foundations of the old "Olive Branch."

The pub had it's opening day on the 19 December 2014.

 

From the Dover Express, 10 December 2015.

Raise a glass to toast micro-pub's anniversary.

THE Lanes in Dover celebrates its first anniversary this month.

The micro-pub was opened by Keith and Debbie Lane on December 19.

Licensee Debbie said: “We have been amazed at the reception and support we have had from the residents of Dover.

“We have built up a loyal following of real ale, wine and cider lovers who enjoy our specially selected variety of ales most of which are local Kentish brewed.”

A warm welcome awaits you as you step into The Lanes with their relaxed and friendly living room style surroundings.

Adorning the walls are 25 Green Man figures. The pub started with four to bring luck to Keith and Debbie and many of the others have been brought in by customers, creating an ever evolving environment.

There are always five real ales available, two of which they guarantee to come from a Kent brewery.

As one barrel empties it is replaced by another from a different brewery, varying in strength. Every ale is sampled daily to ensure freshness and flavour.

The wines are from three Kent vineyards with a choice of 12 plus which are specially selected to suit all tastes.

There are currently 16 still ciders which includes the full range from Dudda’s Tun and Kentish Pip, also a choice of five sparkling ciders.

Other speciality Kentish beverages available include a delicious mead, three different apple juices (cloudy, clear and red) and pear juice.

There is also a selection of coffees, teas and other soft drinks for driving customers.

The pub was winner of the CAMRA Spring Pub of the Season 2015 competition.

Come and take a step back and enjoy an old fashioned evening of community atmosphere, pub games and traditional values in Dover. Opening times are Monday noon to 6pm, Tuesday to Saturday noon to 11pm and Sunday 1pm to 11pm.

 

From the Dover Mercury, 25 December, 2014.

New micropub.

A new micro pub will be opened at the former Olympics Leisure amusements arcade in Worthington Street, Dover.

What will be known as The Lanes will become Dover's fourth micropub. There will be no changes to the shop front, except an illuminated sign and vinyl window graphics, stuck on from the inside.

 

From the https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Sam Lennon, 30 March 2017.

The Lanes micro pub in Worthington Street, Dover, named as best in area by CAMRA.

A micro pub has been named best overall in the district.

The Lanes, in Worthington Street, Dover was named as 2017 Branch Pub of the Year for the Dover, Deal and Sandwich area.

The business was given its accolade by CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale).

Debbie & Keith Lane 2017

The Lanes micro pub in Dover at the time of its opening in 2014.Pictured are managers Debbie and Keith Lane.

The pub is run by Keith and Debbie Lane and has had its third CAMRA award since it opened in December 2014.

Previously it had been named Spring Pub of the Season in 2015 and Autumn Pub of the Season in 2016.

Mrs Lane, 57, told the Mercury: “This is our third award in three years and we are really proud.

“We think it is down the the wonderful brewery we use who brew to perfection and we serve the beer at its optimum.”

Mrs Lane and her 61-year-old husband have been married for 36 years and originally met in another pub, the "Roman Quay" in Dover in the late 1970s.

He was previously a train driver and her previous jobs have included being a nurse and store detective.

The other finalists in this competition. were the "Berry" in Walmer, the "Crown Inn," Finglesham; the "Eight Bells" in Cannon Street, Dover, the "Louis Armstrong" in the town’s Maison Dieu Road and the "Mash Tun" in Bench Street, Dover.

Each of the finalists were judged on categories such as quality of beer and style, decor, furnishing and cleanliness.

Other yardsticks included service, welcome and offering, community focus and atmosphere and overall impression.

 

From the Dover Mercury, 12 April 2017.

Micropub scoops real ale accolade for the third time.

A micropub has been named best overall in the district.

The Lanes, in Worthington Street, Dover was named as 2017 Branch Pub of the Year for the Dover, Deal and Sandwich area.

The business was given the accolade by CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale).

It is run by Keith and Debbie Lane and has had its third CAMRA award since it opened in December 2014.

Previously it had been named Spring Pub of the Season in 2015 and Autumn Pub of the Season in 2016.

Mrs Lane, 57, told the Mercury: “This is our third award in three years and we are really proud.

“We think it is down the wonderful brewery we use who brew to perfection and we serve the beer at its optimum.”

Lanes CAMRA award 2017

They received their award on Saturday at the same time Dover Lions Club presented the couple with a plaque for raising the most money for Dover Lions Club.

Lanes Lions presentation 2017

Dover Lions Club present Debbie and Keith Lane, second and third from left, with a plaque for raising the most money for Dover Lions Club at The Lanes micropub, with Marion Baker, Elaine Prime, Len Button, and Kevin Finnon. Picture: Alan Langley FM4355083.

Mrs Lane and her 61-year-old husband have been married for 36 years and originally met in another pub, the "Roman Quay" in Dover in the late 1970s.

He was previously a train driver and her previous jobs have included being a nurse and store detective.

The other finalists in this competition were the "Berry" in Walmer, the "Crown Inn," Finglesham; the "Eight Bells," in Cannon Street, Dover, the "Louis Armstrong" in the town’s Maison Dieu Road and the "Mash Tun" in Bench Street, Dover.

Each of the finalists were judged on categories such as quality of beer and style, decor, furnishing and cleanliness.

Other yardsticks included service, welcome and offering, community focus and atmosphere and overall impression.

The Lanes also became a finalist as Branch Cider Pub of 2017, the title of which was won by the "Thirsty Scarecrow" in Dover High Street.

The other runners-up were again the "Berry" and "Mash Tun" plus the "Wrong Turn" in Barfrestone.

 

From the Dover Mercury, 19 April 2017.

Micropub’s big help for charity.

Keith & Debbie Lane

An award-winning micropub has had another success by hosting an event that raised more than £350 for charity.

The Lanes, in Worthington Street, Dover, had a draw run by Dover Lions Club on Good Friday, which raised £363 for the charity’s causes.

Landlady Debbie Lane said: “This shows that we are a small pub with a big heart.”

The pub has just been officially named best in the district.

It was awarded as 2017 Branch Pub of the Year for the Dover, Deal and Sandwich area by CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale)

Mrs Lane said that one reason for this success was the perfectionism of the breweries the micropub uses and the quality of their products.

Mrs Lane is the licensee and she runs the micropub with her husband Keith.

In last week’s Mercury we said that The Lanes had also just been given a plaque by Dover Lions by raising the most money for it.

However this had happened last year and we apologise for the error.

 

From the https://www.kentlive.news By John James, 21 September 2019.

We visited 5 of Kent's best pubs according to CAMRA in one evening: Here's what we thought:-

We headed for Dover and visited five accredited real ale good time pubs in and around the town centre.

The beer lover’s manual of all the haunts in the country, the 2020 CAMRA guide, has been published.

It’s no surprise that Kent features heavily among the selections, with entries from across the county.

In the interests of journalism, we thought we’d try out a few.

But rather than re-visiting the usual suspects (your Canterbury's, your Sevenoaks, your Tonbridges), we thought we’d go somewhere you might not normally associate with real ale.

Join me on this journey as I literally drink on the job.

The Lanes, Worthington St.

This might look like a Chinese takeaway, but don't be fooled. It's actually Dover's quirkiest pub.

On the walls of the Lanes hang as many tankards as the human eye can take in.

The tables are proper drinking tables compete with high chairs and two levels so you can have as many glasses on it as possible.

Lanes inside 2019

The interior of The Lanes.

Lanes beers 2019

The selection of drinks was vast and the prices a beautiful £3.30.

Tommy Greswell has worked at the Lanes for four years and has seen many different beers come and go in his time.

He tells me that seasonality is key: "We go through one barrel of beer at a time. When it's out we move on, it keeps things exciting."

Yes, ale can be exciting. I wish more people would wake up to that fact.

Especially my colleague Jake who is presently making a right nuisance out of a delightful half of Skylarking.

I put Tommy to the test.

Lanes Tommy

Tommy pulls a pint.

''Sum up your pub in five words," I say.

"Good real ale, friendly environment."

He's bowled me there.

I thank him for his hospitality and turn to leave.

Jake, who is now trying to charm the life out of a German tourist who told him he works in banking regulation, stays.

To previous pub on tour.               To next pub on tour.

 

From the Dover Express, Thursday 26 March, 2020. By Stela Gineva.

Insurance fails shut down pub.

MICROPUB OWNERS TOLD THEIR POLICY DOES NOT COVER PANDEMICS.

Debbie and Keith Lane 2020

A DOVER micropub landlady is distraught at the prospect of losing her livelihood after her insurance company told her she will not be able to claim - even after the government ordered all pubs to shut down.

Debbie Lane opened the "Lanes" in Worthington Street in Dover five years ago, and since then business has been flowing.

Like most business owners, she took out insurance to protect against unexpected situations.

She even purchased a "business interruption'' package from Zurich, her insurance provider. This covers disruption by a number of infectious diseases.

However, when Mrs. Lane went to seek advice from her insurance broker last week - after the government started advising people to avoid pubs - about eventually making a claim, she was stunned to hear that there will be no payout.

She said: "They said that it doesn't make any difference what I do because I’m not covered.

"And I said 'you're joking!' and they said no, because it's not actually one of the named diseases.

"I'll be honest, when I found out I cried. I thought I paid all this money and I would be covered.

"My pub isn't only my business, it's my social life and everything and it just doesn't seem possible that one moment you're looking forward to different things and then it's all taken away.

"Everyone is in the same situation as I am. We are all fighting for our families and trying to figure out what's best to do."

After the shocking news from her insurance company, Mrs. Lane is unsure how to proceed. She is hoping a government grant might be available to help her with running costs - but if not, she may have to consider a loan.

She said: "This is a position I never thought I'd find myself in.
"To borrow money when you can't guarantee it'll be coming in isn't ideal and I don't think anyone should do that.
"We weren't planning on retiring for another five years at least and by then things should have been fine.
"It's just the two of us. This is the only income we have. We put our life savings into the pub."
A Zurich spokesman said: "Zurich's policies have never included diseases linked to pandemic such as SARs, avian flu or coronavirus due to the difficulty of insurers being able to quantify the potential risk.

"As a result, and in common with the rest of the insurance market, the vast majority of Zurich policies would not provide business interruption cover for the coronavirus.

"Zurich does have a small number of policies which would provide cover for any infectious disease.

"However, even where government action allows for businesses to make an insurance claim against their policy, cover would usually only apply when the disease was present at the premises or in the surrounding area."

Zurich insisted its policy on coronavirus is the same as other insurance companies across the industry.

 

From the https://www.kentlive.news By Stela Gineva, 21 March 2020.

Kent coronavirus: The cruel insurance rule which could shut popular Dover pub forever.

Debbie and Keith Lane ploughed their life savings and a pension into the pub five years ago, and it may all be for nothing.

Lanes licensees 2020

Mr and Mrs Lane are among thousands of businesses who are unsure as to how the future of their livelihood will pan out.

A Dover pub landlady is distraught at the prospect of losing her livelihood after her insurance company told her she will not be able to claim during the coronavirus lockdown.

Debbie Lane opened the Lanes Micropub in Worthington Street five years ago and since then business has been flowing.

But the publican has already felt the pinch as government advice warned people to stay away from pubs, clubs and restaurants.

It can be busy on Wednesdays as it is the day when lots of people working on the boats in the port changeover as they finish their shifts.

Coming in for a pint before they head home has become something of a tradition.

Lanes inside 2020

But not this Wednesday (March 18), when the 20 odd people who usually visit the pub went straight home as per government advice to avoid pubs and restaurants.

Then, just last night (March 20) Prime Minister Boris Johnson made the announcement that all pubs, clubs, gyms and leisure centres are to close with immediate effect.

Debbie added: “People are very scared and you can’t blame them.”

Debbie, like most business owners, took out insurance to protect her business against unexpected situations such as this one.

She even purchased a ‘business interruption’ package from Zurich, her insurance provider.

This covers disruption by a number of infectious diseases.

However, when Debbie went to seek advice from her insurance broker about eventually making a claim, she was stunned to hear there will be no payout.

She said: “I went in to see whether it’s best I close when the government tells us we have to close, or if I should close now when they’re advising people not to go into pubs and restaurants.

Lanes inside 2020

“I wanted to know what was best for making a claim on my insurance.

“And they said that it doesn’t make any difference what I do because I’m not covered.

"And I said ‘you’re joking!’ and they said no, because it’s not actually one of the named diseases.”

The news came as a shock to the landlady who employs her husband, Keith Lane, as well.

This is their only source of income.

'When I found out, I cried'
She said: “I’ll be honest, when I found out I cried. I thought I paid all this money and I would be covered.

“I don’t think insurance companies are fair. They take your money and always, always wriggle out.

“If it hadn’t been this, if they were allowed to say it’s an ‘act of God’, I reckon they were going to say that.

“That’s how they get out of not paying things. Now because not as many people believe in God, they find other ways of not paying out.”

Debbie didn’t have to take out a loan to start her business.

Her husband left his job and took a pension lump sum pay out a few years ago which allowed them to open the pub.

They put their life savings into the pub which has become a hub for the community.

She added: “This is my whole livelihood here, this is my life. I love my pub.

“My pub isn’t only my business, it’s my social life and everything and it just doesn’t seem possible that one moment you’re looking forward to different things and then it’s all taken away.

“Everyone is in the same situation as I am. We are all fighting in our families and trying to figure out what’s best to do.”

The landlady believes pubs have an important part in the community and can make a difference. She said: “Every pub is an important part of the community.

“When my regulars don’t come in, I call them to make sure they’re okay, I’ve taken them to the hospital, done shopping for them, it’s things like that - this is what landladies and landlords do, we know our community.

“A few of my customers have called me today to let me know they’re alright or if they need anything I try to get it for them.”

After the shocking news from her insurance company, Debbie is unsure how to proceed. She is hoping a government grant might be available to her to help her with running costs, if not she may have to consider a loan.

She said: “This is a position I never thought I’d find myself in.

“To borrow money when you can’t guarantee it’ll be coming in isn’t ideal and I don’t think anyone should do that.

“We weren’t planning on retiring for another five years at least and by then things should have been fine.

“It’s just the two of us. This is the only income we have. We put our life savings into the pub.”

A Zurich spokesman confirmed that while the insurance company provides business interruption coverage, including specified, notifiable diseases linked to the premises, this never includes diseases linked to pandemics.

The spokesman added: “Zurich’s policies have never included diseases linked to pandemic such as SARs, Avian Flu or Coronavirus due to the difficulty of insurers being able to quantify the potential risk.

“As a result, and in common with the rest of the insurance market, the vast majority of Zurich policies would not provide business interruption cover for the coronavirus.

“Zurich does have a small number of policies which would provide cover for any infectious disease.

“However, even where government action allows for businesses to make an insurance claim against their policy, cover would usually only apply when the disease was present at the premises or in the surrounding area.”

Zurich insisted their policy on coronavirus is the same as other insurance companies across the industry.

A spokesperson for the Association of British Insurers (ABI) described the spread of coronavirus as ‘unprecedented in modern times’.

 

Unfortunately this one was killed off by the Corona Virus outbreak when all pubs were forced to close their doors on 16 March 2020, and just never reopened.

 

LICENSEE LIST

LANE Debbie 19/Dec/2014-16/Mar/20

 

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

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