168 London Road

Buckland

The picture above, is of Buckland Bridge and the Bull Inn, the old posting house, in about 1850.

The Gilfin family, father and son, owned the Bull from 1883 to 1942.

Above photograph of the Bull, date unknown.

From the Dover Mercury 18 Jan 2001. QUIETER TIMES: Buckland Bridge in about 1937 with a cart parked while its horse was in the forge around the corner for re-shoeing Skilful job to re-shoe a horse THIS view of Buckland Bridge taken about 1937 shows a cart parked alongside the Rectory wall. The horse would have been in Links' forge just round the corner for re-shoeing. I can remember standing by the doorway watching the red hot metal being shaped to fit the hooves of a very docile horse. There was a small sweetshop next to the Bull public house, and Mr Ashdown, the stone-mason, had his shop next to the river. The car on the left appears to be an Austin Seven with a folding roof. People seem to be sauntering across the road towards the pub. By Joe Harman.

Above photo kindly supplied by Barry Smith circa 1980

Bull circa 1987 (Photo by Paul Skelton)

The two sides of the Bull pub sign. Photo by Paul Skelton 6 Oct 2007.

John Smith kept the "Bull" in Dover in 1791 and another publican called Welch in 1832. It has to be said however, that this particular house had been known previously to 1839 as the "Rose" and the "Three Horse Shoes". A very good painting or print, showing the house and the bridge, by William Burgess has its place on the walls. Mine host opened the doors at five a.m. from 1876 to 1900.

The local authority were anxious to widen the bridge in 1939 and in fact the properties nearest to it had been removed in 1938. The further intention was to purchase the "Bull" for £2,650 plus fees and effect a change of land with the owners so that a new pub could be erected. The necessary plans for that were approved in August 1939 but the war that followed prevented any further progress.

By 1952, the bridge had been sufficiently widened anyway without further demolition being considered necessary. An interesting analogy perhaps are the deeds of the last century, which describe the inn as standing in its own grounds with stables and orchard.

Following world war two, reinstatement of war damage, costing £250, was authorised in September 1949 but a request to enlarge the premises in 1962 was rejected by the planning committee of the Council.

A Whitbread-Fremlin establishment.

LICENSEE LIST

SMITH John 1791

ELVEY 1805 ("Bull" King St)

REYNOLDS S. 1811

FRENCH George 1823-28+ ( "Black Bull")

WELCH George 1832-39+

NEWING John 1840-51

WEBB George 1851

BRETT George 1855-69

ATKINS Robins 1874-82 (ROBINS Atkins )

GILFIN John Austin senior 1883-1911 dec'd

GILFIN John Austin junior 1911-42 end

HUSK Richard George 1942-49 end

TREADWELL Alfred William 1949-70 end

SMITH Raymond J. 1970

From the Pigot's Directory 1823

From the Pigot's Directory 1828-9

From the Pigot's Directory 1832-33-34

From the Pigot's Directory 1839

From the Pigot's Directory 1840

From the Kelley's Directory 1874

From the Post Office Directory 1874

From the Post Office Directory 1882

From the Post Office Directory 1891

From Pikes Dover Blue Book 1895

From the Kelley's Directory 1899

From the Post Office Directory 1903

From Pikes Dover Blue Book 1909

From the Post Office Directory 1913

From the Post Office Directory 1918

From the Post Office Directory 1922

From Pikes Dover Blue Book 1923

From Pikes Dover Blue Book 1924

From the Post Office Directory 1930

From Pikes Dover Blue Book 1932-33

From the Post Office Directory 1938

From the Kelley's Directory 1950

From the Kelley's Directory 1953

From the Kelley's Directory 1956