East Cliff

Folkestone

Above showing the "Warren Inn" circa 1880. Above by kind permission of the "Black Horse" Densole.

This house was situated just below the Martello Tower Number 1 and and when opened in about 1875 held a six day beer license, Sunday being closed. The license was changed to include the selling of cider and wine shortly after opening but in 1884, when they tried for a spirits license, the application was refused and I don't believe it ever hold the license to sell on Sundays. However, drinking often took place on Sundays and other prohibited hours and the license was suspended from time to time.

The Police were most certainly onto drinking out of hours and in1892, hiding behind the Martello Tower caught 19 men drinking after the premises should have closed. The licensee, Henry Mutton was fined £5 and 9s. costs and instructed to leave the house. It was subsequently shut down by the landowner, the earl of Radnor.

After it closed as a public house the building was used as a tea house and continued operating as such till its closure in 1924. It was then demolished. The site where the house once stood has now been washed away by cliff erosion.

LICENSEE LIST

HARRISON Timothy 1875-77

HILLS Rowland 1877

MARSH John 1877-81

ALEXANDER Thomas 1881-83

COLEMAN Benjamin 1883-91

MUNTON Henry 1891-92

Tea rooms till 1924

More Tales from the Tap Room by Easdown and Rooney