BLACK MILL Pubs of Barham

DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Page Updated:- Thursday, 17 April, 2025.

PUB LIST

PUBLIC HOUSES

Paul Skelton

Earliest 1836

Black Mill

Latest late 1960s

Out Elmstead Lane

Barham

Above photo of the Black Mill, Barham.

Black Mill at Barham. Both photos by kind permission of:- http://www.barham-kent.org.uk

Above photo 5 March 1963, kindly sent by Clive Bowley.

Above beer mat kindly supplied by Mike Lyon.

Above Google image 2014.

Above map 1969.

Originally Flint Ales, then passed to Fremlins.

Dover Express, Saturday 13 June 1863.

County of Kent. To be sold by auction by Mr. Thomas Robinson, at the "Fountain Hotel," Canterbury, on an early day of which due notice will be given. Several valuable freehold Estates, known as

....

A public house in the parish of Barham, known as the "Mill house," to which is attached 0a. 3r. 25p. of Garden and Meadow Land;

....

From the Kentish Gazette, 12 September 1865.

WINGHAM. Petty Sessions. Thursday. (Before C. J. Plumptre, Esq., N. H. D’Aeth, Esq., J. F. Harvey, Esq., F. Philips, Esq., Richard Harrison, Esq., John Henderson, Esq., and J. F. Godfrey, Esq.)

Renewal of Public House Licenses.

This was the general licensing meeting, and authority was granted for the renewal of the licenses of all existing public houses. There were five applications for spirit licences for houses which have not hitherto had them. Two only were granted and three refused. Mr. John S. Fox obtained an authority for a spirit license for the "Carpenter’s Arms," Coldred, and Mr. Francis Prescott, for the "Canteen," at Charlton, near Dover.

The following were refused:—

Mr. John Curtis, "Black Mill," Barham;

Mr. Charles Golder, the "Hope," Lydden;

and Mr. Edward James Craker, the "Sportsman," Sholden.

From the Kentish Chronicle 16 September 1865.

WINGHAM PETTY SESSIONS

Thursday.—Renewal of Public House Licenses.

This was the general licensing meeting, and authority was granted for the renewal of the licenses of all existing public houses. There were five applications for spirit licenses for houses which have not hitherto had them.

The following were refused:—Mr. John Curtis, “Black Mill,” Barham.

Canterbury Journal, Kentish Times and Farmers' Gazette, Saturday 3 April 1886.

Barham. Inquest On An Infant.

An inquest was held at the "Black Mill," Barham, on Monday by R. M. Mercer, Esq. (East Kent Coroner), on the body of Alice Kate Fagg, age 2 months, the illegitimate child of Emily Ada Fagg, residing with her father and mother at Barham.

The mother deposed that the child had the whooping cough for two or three weeks, and latterly it would not take the breast. The child died on Tuesday the 23rd.

Dr. Schon, who made a post-mortem examination on the body, deposed that the cause of death was whooping cough and bronchitis. It showed no signs of neglect on the part of its mother.

A verdict in accordance with the medical testimony was returned.

Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald, Saturday 10 August 1901.

Sale of a Brewery.

The Deal and Mongeham Brewers, (Messrs. Hill and Sons), with 64 houses, were offered by auction, at the Mart, Deal, on Thursday, and were purchased by Messrs. Thompson and Sons, of the Walmer Brewery for £93,000.

The property was put up at £40,000. The "Black Mill" public house of Barham was purchased by Messrs. Flint and Sons, Canterbury, for £500, and the "Bricklayer's Arms," Walmer by Mr. Rision for £500.

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday, 15 May 1936.

WINGHAM PETTY SESSIONS

The County Police Petty Sessions were held at Wingham on Thursday before Viscount Hawarden, Messrs. J. E. Monins, W. G. Chandler, C. J. Burgess and A. J. Lilliott.

The licence of the "Black Mill," Barham, was transferred from Mr. H. J. Murton to Mr. A. S. Cooper.

From an email received 4 December 2013.

I was a regular drinker there in the late sixties. The landlords name was Richard Pain and he was an ex miner before a very serious accident.

It was frequented by many miners from Snowdown colliery. There was no cellar and the barrels stood on a shelf. However the beer was good. I think it was difficult to make a living and was probably the reason for its demise.

Regards.

Brian Humphrey.

Probably named after the Black Smock Mill in the area.

According to Wikipedia:- Black Mill was a four storey smock mill mounted on a single storey brick base. It had four single patent sails mounted on a cast iron windshaft and was winded by a fantail. The mill drove four pairs of millstones.

Black Smock Mill at Barham between 1910 & 1960

Black Mill was the third mill on the site. There was a mill on Barham Down in the thirteenth century. A mill was marked on Philip Symonson's map of 1596, John Speed's map of 1611, Robert Morden's map of 1695 and E Bowen's map of 1736. This mill was originally a little lower down the hill, and was moved to a new position higher up.

The second mill was marked on the 1819-43 Ordnance Survey map.

The Black Mill was built by John Holman, the Canterbury millwright in 1834. She was worked for many years by H S Pedge, then R Walter for over 50 years, and after that by T Denne and Sons. The mill was struck by lightning on 17 June 1878 and lost a sail. Over £150 had to be spent to repair the mill.

The last owner, Mr E Mannering, fitted the fantail from Willesborough windmill in 1946, and restored the mill in 1956. He was awarded a Windmill Certificate by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings for his efforts. The work was done by Holman's of Canterbury, the last millwrighting they did before the firm stopped doing millwrighting work. Kent County Council contributed £400 towards the restoration work. The work included the replacement of two sails that had been blown off in a storm on 13 March 1951.

The mill featured in the 1955 film "Raising a Riot" starring Kenneth More. The mill was purchased by Kent County Council in the late 1960s and burnt down on 3 March 1970 when a spark from a bonfire set light to the mill. A new stage had been prepared for the restored mill, and this was donated to Draper's Windmill, Margate and erected there by Vincent Pargeter.

LICENSEE LIST

CURTIS John 1861-81+ (Beer House Keeper and Shoemaker age 66 in 1881)