PIER INN Pubs of Dover

DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

PUB LIST

PUBLIC HOUSES

Barry Smith

Pier Inn

2 Beach Street

3 Beach Street

This free house occupied the corner position with King's Passage. Fully licensed and supplied by Flynn and Company of Herne Bay towards the end but earlier by the Burton Beer Company of Herne Bay.

It possessed its own livery and stables and was already well established in 1844. It should not be confused with the "Royal (Pier) Hotel".

The doors opened for coffee drinkers at 4 a.m. from 1872 and three thirty a.m. from 1874. It was one of the few pubs allowed to continue that practice after 1900. Barker bought it from Satchell in 1881 but on 1st February 1890 it was gutted by fire. Repairs must have been possible because it did reopen later.

1910 saw opposition to the licence renewal. That year five pubs still served in Beach Street and by 1912 the pressure was really on the "Brussels Inn" stood nineteen yards away, the "Terminus" 25 yards, the "Cinque Ports Arms" forty eight yards and the "Dover Castle Hotel" and the "King's Head Hotel" were both within one hundred yards. The station buffet stood opposite with the station itself at that time occupying the other side of the street. The last remaining portion of that was removed in February 1963.

1912 saw it referred and the licence withheld. The town was busy trying to clear the district at the time but obviously all the details did not reach the electorate. It can be said that the licence had lapsed by 1913 and the property at the end was leased by Mrs. Absalom to T. H. Gardiner. A payment by the town may be significant. It was for £75, being leasehold interest in respect of properties bought in connection with the pier scheme.

From the Dover Express. February 1890.

Fire at the Pier.

On Saturday morning a serious outbreak of fire occurred in the Pier District in Beach Street known as Piers Inn and kept by Mr. Wraight. Police Constable Brace was on duty in the neighbourhood at 2.30 a.m. had his attention called to a fire and he immediately obtained assistance and brought the fire escape to the spot ready for use when required. The constable telephoned to Superintendent Sanders at the Town Hall and the hose reel from the drainage works was brought out. In the meantime however the night staff of the south-eastern railway station, which is opposite the house, were on the scene and having fixed their stand pipe commenced to play upon the fire which had originated in the bar parlour.

The occupants of the house were got out in safety and the fire was apparently extinguished in a few minutes. Superintendent Sanders and several members of the fire brigade who were quickly on the spot brought with them the hose reel from Queen Street and after examining the premises left at 3.30 a.m. leaving Police Sergeant Suters with Police Constables Brace and Hanson in charge. A number of people had assembled but as the fire appeared to be extinguished most of them went back to their homes. About twenty minutes to four however smoke was discovered issuing from the front room upstairs and the police at once set to work to prevent it spreading. On the partitions being taken away it was found that the fire had accumulated between the ceiling of the second room and extended between the partitions from top to bottom of the house. Superintendent Sanders was again sent for and returned. The stand-pipe with the hose was brought into requisition and the fire was finally extinguished at 5 a.m. There was a good supply of water but the house was entirely gutted and everything destroyed.

Information kindly supplied by Joyce Banks.

More reading of Dover at www.DoverHistory.co.uk

LICENSEE LIST

WHITE Richard 1872-74