Woodman

Above postcard, date 1910, kindly sent by Mark Jennings.

Above postcard, circa 1913, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. Nice colourised postcard of the Woodman. The original photograph was taken shortly before WW1 and shows that the Woodman was a tied house within the estate of Style & Winch's Medway Brewery, Maidstone.

Above postcard, postmarked 1912. Also in picture on the left is Shilling & Cripps, carpenters.

Above photo circa 1926. Kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above postcard, circa 1931, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe. This may have been a publicity photograph for use on advertising postcards, which were very popular in the first half of the 20th century. As the Woodman changed hands in 1930, it's possible that the people posing in front of the pub are licensees Frank and Lillian Gilbert and their children. As the signage states, the Woodman offered Style & Winch's Ales from the Medway Brewery, Maidstone, to which the pub was tied.

Above photo circa 1947, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above document showing the lease agreement for Mr. Percival William Milbank Sadler on 29th October 1953 when the pub was a Style and Winch house.

From and email received, 5 April 2016.

My Great Aunt Lillian and Uncle Frank Gilbert ran the "Woodman" in Boxley from 1930 Lillian Gertrude nee Danes was born in Forge Lane next to the Inn.

Cyclist would stop at the inn and Lillian would sing and play the piano.

Lillian's grandfather was employed by Major Guest and died of mushroom poisoning in September 1887.

Her brother Albert William Danes killed in action 13.10.1915 WW1 and is remembered on the cross outside the church opposite the Inn.

They left the "Woodman" and in 1939 ran the post office, tobacconist, newspaper and sweet shop at Penenden Heath.

Jenny Thorne.