DOVER KENT ARCHIVES
PUB LIST   PUBLIC HOUSES Paul Skelton

Earliest 1845

 Red Cow

Still open

12 Moat Sole

(Sandwich)

01304 613243

Red Cow 2012

Photos shows the Red Cow in Sandwich. Photo taken by Paul Skelton 14 January 2012.

Red Cow sign
Red Cow date unknown

Above photo, date unknown, by kind permission of the "Red Cow."

Above photo circa 1970, by kind permission of the £Red Cow."

 

The Red Cow was first registered with the land registry in 1735 as the town poor house, used mainly by travelling tradesmen and farm workers.

Further information tells us it was rebuilt in 1735 on the site of a monks retreat, that Henry VIII had demolished during the English civil wear, no specific date is given for its demolition.

Around 1842 when the poor laws were repealed the poor were re-housed and Gardener and Co, the brewers from Ash bought the building and it became a public house in 1845. Gardener's were taken over by Whitbread in June 1968.

 

Why the Red Cow?

The car park across the road from the pub used to be the local cattle market, and the snug area inside the pub served as a cash handling room were all the deals at the weekly mart would be settled. The local breed of cattle was then a distinct red coloured animal.

 

From the Dover Express and East Kent News, Friday 19 February, 1971.

DEVOTION TO DUTY EARNED A MENTION IN DISPATCHES

Red Lion licensee 1971

By strange coincidence Mr. Herbert "Pip" Earl, new landlord at the "Red Cow," the Sandwich farmers pub comes from Northfleet, as did his predecessor, Mr. Stan Lawrence. They also have a lengthy army career in common.

Before 13 years with a Deptford electronics company, Pip was in the Royal Electrical and Mechanist Engineers for 25 years. At the outbreak of war he was in Ceylon and felt rather out of things until he came home in 1942.

However the War Office post made up for his "quiet" years by sending him ashore on the day after D-Day with the first infantry brigade workshop to be landed in Normandy.

As if this wasn't enough excitement for one lifetime Pip found himself in Korea in 1953. He is reticent about his Mention in Dispatches earned during this posting.

"We just worked rather long hours," is how he described great devotion to duty. His last posting was to the Signal Research Establishment, at Christchurch, Hants.

Sharing Pip's new long-hours job is his wife, Vi. Though this is their first venture into the licensed trade, they served an apprenticeship looking after a friends house in Gravesend.

 

 

Closed for some time in late 2007 for refurbishment.

 

From the Dover Express, 19 November, 2009. Report by Yamural Zendera

The Red Cow pub in Moat Sole was due for a licence review last week after it was requested by Environmental Health.

This was adjourned to today (Thursday).

 

 

LICENSEE LIST

LAWRENCE Stan & Olive to 1971 Dover Express

EARL Herbert (Pip) E & Vi 1971-74+ Dover ExpressLibrary archives 1974 Gardner & Co

SAVAGE Tom 2007

 

Library archives 1974Library archives 1974

Dover ExpressFrom the Dover Express

 

If anyone should have any further information, or indeed any pictures or photographs of the above licensed premises, please email:-
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