FOUNTAIN Pub of Barming

DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Page Updated:- Monday, 04 September, 2023.

PUB LIST

PUBLIC HOUSES

Paul Skelton

Earliest 1832-

Fountain

Latest 12 July 2010

452 Tonbridge Road

Barming Heath

Above photo, date unknown, kindly supplied by Gez Smart.

Above photo, circa 1930s, kindly sent by Garth Wyver.

Above photo, 1955, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above photo, circa 1960s.

Above photo 2009 by Chris Whippet, Creative Commons Licence.

Above sign April 1991 with thanks from Brian Curtis www.innsignsociety.com

In 1904 its location became the terminus for the Maidstone to Barming Tramway. Before that horse traffic had been catered for extensively at The "Fountain Inn."

West Kent Guardian, Saturday 25 May 1839.

Highway Robbery.

On Thursday night last, as Mr. James Buckland, of Barming, was returning home from Maidstone, he was stopped by four men near the "Fountain Inn," two of whom seized him and placed their hands over his eyes and mouth, while the other rifled his pockets, and took from thence about £3 3s. and his pocket book. We regret to state the parties have not as yet been discovered, although every exertion has been made by Mr. Faucett, superintendent of the police.

Maidstone Journal, 1 February, 1842.

Coroners Inquest.

On Saturday last an inquiry was held at the "Fountain Inn," at Barming, before F. F. Dally, coroner, and a respectable jury, on the body of Sarah Ann Constable, aged 2 1/2 years, who was accidentally burnt to death.

Caroline Constable stated that the deceased was her niece. Deceased was left in the care of her grandmother and and witness. Its mother had not been with it for the space of a month — she had been away keeping a Mr. Young's house, on Harming heath. On Thursday afternoon last witness left deceased with a neighbour's child in the front room looking out of the window, whilst she (witness) went up stairs to make the beds. She had been up stairs above 7 minutes before her attention was attracted by cries of one of the children down stairs. She immediately run down when she found the child in the washhouse in flames. Witness immediately wrapped a woollen dress round her and threw some water over her which extinguished the flames. Soon afterwards a neighbour came in, undressed the child, and applied some linseed oil to the burns. A medical man was immediately sent for who soon after arrived. Witness and the deceased's mother was not married. Deceased lingered till the next morning at 9 o'clock when she died.

Mr. George Lener, surgeon, stated that he was called on to attend the deceased on Thursday evening last.

He arrived as soon as possible and found the child in the state described by the last witness. There were several extensive burns on the chest, arms abdomen and back to which he applied a lotion and some dredge flour. The decreased did not seem to rally much and he was quite certain it could not recover. Witness gave it as his opinion that in cause like the present where persons were burnt, they should be kept wrapt up in a blanket till medical aid arrived, at the air was very injurious to the wounds.

The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

Southeastern Gazette, 18 January 1853.

PIGEON SHOOTING.

AT the "Fountain Inn," Barming Heath, every Wednesday, at Two o’clock.

A good supply of birds kept on hand.

From the Maidstone Telegraph, Rochester and Chatham Gazette, Saturday 7 January,1860. Price 1d.

BARMING SERIOUS ACCIDENT

On Wednesday an accident occurred to a young man named William Hayes, a sawyer, living in the neighbourhood of Rocky Hill, Maidstone. Hayes, it appeared in company with some other young men, was at a blacksmith's forge, on the premises of the “Fountain Inn,” Barming, where they amused themselves by “Firing the Anvil.” A quantity of powder was placed in the cavity of the anvil, a plug of wood driven in, and a train of gunpowder laid to ignite it. The plug, however, not flying out, Hayes went and stooped over the hole, when the powder immediately exploded, and drove the plug with great violence into his forehead. With assistance he managed to walk to the West Kent Infirmary, where he was promptly attended to, and, considering the serious nature of the wound, he is progressing favourable, though it is still very doubtful whether he will survive the injury.

Maidstone Telegraph, Rochester and Chatham Gazette, Saturday 4th August 1860.

Barming.

A cricket match was played on Monday last between 11 of the Wrotham Club and 11 of the Barming Club, which, after a closely contested match ended in the defeat of the Barming Club by 2 runs.

The scores, at the termination of the match, were:- Barming, first innings, 61; second innings 52. Wrotham, 1st innings, 48; second innings, 67.

The match was played on the ground opposite the "Fountain Inn," Barming, at which the excellent dinner was provided. A band of music was in attendance, which added greatly to the pleasure of the day.

From https://www.pressreader.com 18 Jun 2010 by Alan Smith.

Rent increase puts future of another pub in question.

Carla Maskell, landlady of the Fountain Inn, Barming with some of her customers.

THE future of another pub is uncertain after an increase in rent has forced the landlady to quit.

Just weeks after the closure of the "White Horse" pub in Otham comes the news that the "Fountain Inn" in Barming may become an Indian restaurant.

Carla Maskell is the current licensee at the "Fountain," but she said that Enterprise Inns, which owns the freehold of the pub, had put up the rent and she could not afford to renew her lease, which expires on July 20.

She said: “My customers are really upset. They come here in preference to other pubs in the area because they prefer the beer. Many of them have been coming here for years - it’s a home from home for them.”

Mrs Maskell will lose both her job and the home she shares with her nine-year-old daughter, Katrice.

She moved to Maidstone from Bognor Regis to manage the "Fountain Inn" for its previous owners, Pubs n Bars plc, who went into administration before Christmas.

She then took out a lease with the new owners, Enterprise, in January to run the business as her own.

She claims Enterprise wants to increase the rent to £20,000 a year. She said: “That’s impossible for me to meet.” She said that she believed Enterprise had a new lessee lined up who wanted to open an Indian restaurant.

A spokesman for Enterprise Inns said: “The pub is open for business at the moment. We can’t say more than that.”

The pub closed on 12th July 2010, at that time was being refurbished to re open as an Indian restaurant. The restaurant itself only lasted a couple of months when it also closed apparently due to it being flooded after a burst pipe in the roof. Today (April 2014) it is still closed although there is some work going on there, so maybe it will eventually reopen. 2017 it appears to be open again, but as an Indian restaurant, still called Spice Fusion.

Above photo 9 April 2014, kindly supplied by Roy Moore.

Above photo. 2017, kindly sent by Garth Wyver.

It is now (January 2022) open as an Indian restaurant at present. I have seen in the local paper there is a plan to demolish the building to build a roundabout at the adjacent junction. I will keep you posted. Jeff East.

LICENSEE LIST

BLUNDEN Edward 1832+