DOVER STAGE HOTEL Pubs of Dover

DOVER KENT ARCHIVES

Sort file:- Dover, October, 2021.

Page Updated:- Tuesday, 26 October, 2021.

PUB LIST

PUBLIC HOUSES

Barry Smith and Paul Skelton

Earliest 1956

Dover Stage Hotel

Latest 1988

Camden Crescent and Townwall Street

Dover

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday 9 December, 1955.

Above is an artist's impression of the completed hotel as it will be seen from the promenade. Below, similar view, how it actually looked, date unknown.

ULTRA MODERN HOTEL FOR CAMDEN CRESCENT

Work to start at once.

Work on Dover's ultra-modern £60,000 coachotel in Camden crescent is to start early next month. The contract - which was signed on Friday - has been awarded to Messrs. R. J. Barwick by Watney, Combe, Reid and Co.

A few hours before the contract was signed, Dover Magistrates agreed to an order for a provisional grant sanctioning as a planning removal the justices' licence of the now demolished "Burlington" Buffet to the coachotel, which will front on a re-aligned Camden Crescent, and have access to the new Townwall Street.

The proposals for the six-story hotel put before the Magistrates by Mr. N. W. S. Mitchchison provide for a large ballroom, bars and residential accommodation, while the main aim is to cater for the coach trade.

When the premises are ready for occupation by Watney public house, "Trocadero Bars," in Snargate Street, will close down. The brewers are willing to surrender that licence so that there will be one less licence in the town.

Submitting reasons why a coachotel would bean asset to the town Mr. Mitchison said that at the present time the coach trade - too and from the continent and coastal tours - was not being catered for.

"Coaches are turned away in large numbers and they are going to places as far away as Maidstone and to Folkestone. It would be a great benefit to the town if that trade was catered for here," said Mr. Mitchison.

The solicitor added that the hotel would be fully licensed and would be built in the most up-to-date manner. One of the proposals was to build a large ballroom - something which would fill a long-felt need in Dover - and there would also be a saloon bar, a lounge, a foyer, tea room, and an American bar.

The cost of the premises would be in the region of £60,000 plus the cost of furniture and equipment.

"Work can commence as soon as you give your approval," he told the magistrates.

Residential accommodation would comprise 42 rooms, which would be on five floors. All the rooms facing the sea which would have their own balconies.

The terms of the license would be exactly the same as the Burlington Buffet. The premises would have a small off-sales department.

The architect, Mr. E. Erdi, stated to the magistrates that the plans were for a six-storey building.

Mr. Erdi told the Dover Express it was anticipated that the premises would be finished by 1957.

"We hope to start on the building early next month," Mr. R. R. O. Barwick said this week.

Certain foundation work has already been carried out on the site, which is between Townwall Street and the Granville Gardens.

From the Kent Messenger, 31 May 1957.

Above shows The Mayor of Dover (Alderman John Williams) and Mr. J. G. Bridges, director-general of the British Travel and Holidays Association, arrived for the opening ceremony of the "Dover Stage" in the famous stage coach Red Rover, driven by Mr. Sanders Watney.

Above showing a painting of the Red Rover that used to run from Southampton to London.

Above postcard 1959, kindly sent by Rory Kehoe.

Above photo, circa 1960, kindly sent by Paul Wells.

Above photo, date unknown, kindly sent by Peggy Russell.

Circa 1960

Above photo, kindly sent by Rosemary Wells, showing Hazel Smith's family (in pram) with parents Fred and Ivy Mack and brother Gerald in 1961.

Above photo, showing Gerald Mack, circa 1963. Kindly sent by Rosemary Wells.

Dover Stage 1968, kindly taken and sent by Stuart Eaton.

Above postcard date unknown.

Dover Stage Hotel circa 1970

Above photo circa late 1970s, kindly sent by Iain Stuart.

Above photo, late 1970s.

Circa 1980 photo by Barry Smith.

Sign April 1986.

Above with thanks from Brian Curtis www.innsignsociety.com

DOVER STAGE, still just about standing on its stilts, as the demolition man does his work. (November 1988). The hotel in Camden Crescent was too small for modern requirements and the owners decided to knock it down. Now the big question is: what will replace it?

Dover Stage demolished November 1988.

Having entrances from both roads, this was erected in 1956-57. The site had been acquired post war by Watney, Combe and Reid, brewers, for £4,250. The licence of the then demolished "Burlington Hotel" was bought from Dover Corporation for £750 in 1955.

It was a condition that the brewer would surrender the "Trocadero Bars" and that licence was therefore transferred here on 23 May 1957 when the business commenced. One of the bars perpetuated the name 'Trocadero'.

Grand Metropole became the owners in 1971, Haven Inns in 1972 and Queens' Moat in 1982. The same year ownership passed to Ian Whittaker.

The small size of the hotel was the cause of its demise in 1988. In June that year permission was sought to demolish and erect flats in its place. Assent came quickly in July and removal commenced in October. As 1990 opens, only private cars utilise the site. Still the same September 2013.

From the Dover Express, 14 February, 2002.

Death of hotelier.

Former chairman of the Dover Hoteliers Ian Whittaker, died aged 76 from cancer at Applecroft Nursing Home on Tuesday.

Mr. Whittaker, who was the first to appear on the Dover Express' first full colour front page as Henry VIII in 1985, passed away after battling with the illness for more than a year.

Close friend Mike McFarnell said; "Ian was a prominent man in the town and will be greatly missed by all who knew him."

Mr. Whittaker, who opened the "Dover Stage Hotel" in 1957, was said to be passionate about the town's history.

Mr. McFarnell said: "He was a great believer in what Dover's history could do for the town.

"We shared that vision and saw Dover's potential. He was a wonderful man who was an inspiration to a lot of people."

AUCTION VIEW: The Round House that used to stand in Dover.

Another view of the Round House date unknown.

Always wanting to go back to the roots and beyond, I recently found this article in the Dover Mercury 19 February 2004.

Round House was on site of hotel

LOCAL historian Paul Wells provided us with this picture, which comes from a 1930s auction catalogue.

Facing into Granville Gardens in an area now a public car park stood Shipdem's House.

Built by John Shipdem in the early 19th century, it was later to become the British Legion Club and then the private Round House Club. Shipdem was the Town Clerk and Registrar of Dover Harbour.

The photograph is taken from the Flashman and Co auction catalogue of Thursday March 26, 1931. The building was badly damaged in the Second World War and subsequently demolished.

The site was later to become the Dover Stage Hotel, built in 1956-7 to a design by Louis Erdi with six; floors and balanced on V-shaped struts. The hotel was demolished in the 1980s.

Above photo just prior to demolition.

Paul has a website of old photographs of the area at www.doverpast.co.uk

Above print by kind permission Dover Library

Above photo showing an aerial shot of Camden Crescent, with the "Round House" on the bottom right. Circa 1930-36.

See "Henley Lodge".

From an email received, 26 October 2021.

We appreciate your archive of the Dover Stage. Such a typical design of the era. We stayed there for our honeymoon night 10 April 1971 following our wedding at Capel-le-Ferne. I attach the room card information and account from that date.

Crispin Purdye.