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You are here: Home>Places>Public Houses

Public Houses

In the 1950s Westerham had eight pubs, but in the 19th Century, had several more being the Crown Beerhouse, opposite New Street, The Swan Beerhouse, now Castle Antiques, The Churchyard Inn by the gates to St Mary's Church, The Red Cow on Vicarage Hill and the White Horse which became The Grange.

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  • A Drink in Westerham Past and Present

    A Drink in Westerham Past and Present

  • Grasshopper Inn Moorhouse as was originally

    Grasshopper Inn Moorhouse as was originally

  • Grasshopper Inn Moorhouse following extensive rebuild

    Grasshopper Inn Moorhouse following extensive rebuild

  • 1880 Swan Beerhouse

    1880 Swan Beerhouse

    This building today (2019) is the home of Castle Antiques, opposite the Library, so-called in memory of Vic Castle, who ran his dairy there in the 1950s. The building has an interesting history, having started out as the ‘Swan Beerhouse’ owned by William Finnis Watkins’ Swan Brewery at the bottom of Hosey Hill. Beerhouses had ...
    Reference: WH0077
  • 1890 advertisement for J. Drapper landlord of Old House at Home

    1890 advertisement for J. Drapper landlord of Old House at Home

    Reference: 0018
  • 1903 advertisement for The Crown Hotel opposite the railway station

    1903 advertisement for The Crown Hotel opposite the railway station

    The Crown Hotel opposite Westerham Station was known for its fine dining cuisine, and this reputation was to carry it through until the Hotel was closed and pulled down in the late 1990s. It is amazing it kept going that long as that part of town would struggle to sustain such a large establishment without ...
    Reference: 0012
  • 1903 advertisement for the General Wolfe Inn

    1903 advertisement for the General Wolfe Inn

    Note that a Pony and Trap was available for hire, but there was no overnight accommodation in this tiny pub, the only ‘full-license’ drinking establishment in town lacking this facility.
    Reference: WH0063
  • 1908 advertisement for The Crown Hotel

    1908 advertisement for The Crown Hotel

    Reference: WH0099
  • 1920 Cottages adjoining The Old House at Home, Vicarage Hill

    1920 Cottages adjoining The Old House at Home, Vicarage Hill

    Reference: WH0068
  • 1920 George & Dragon with cars

    1920 George & Dragon with cars

    Parking was clearly not a big problem in the 1920s
    Reference: 0054
  • 1930s enjoying a pint outside The Old House at Home

    1930s enjoying a pint outside The Old House at Home

    On the left of the group, members of the Webb family from Mill Street including Fred Webb senior on the end and Grandad Webb, third from the left.
    Reference: WH0071
  • 1935 Crown Hotel & Station

    1935 Crown Hotel & Station

    Reference: WH0095
  • 1950 Royal Standard

    1950 Royal Standard

    This section of the old High Street has seen a fair amount of change over the years. Originally the site of a little row of shops, these were razed to the ground in the 1880s to accommodate a new public house owned by the Watney brewery company, called The Rifleman. This in turn was knocked-down ...
    Reference: WH0078
  • A few tweaks to Joe Jenner's wedding car in the Kings Arms yard circa 1960

    A few tweaks to Joe Jenner's wedding car in the Kings Arms yard circa 1960

    Fred Johnson was the owner of Wolfe garage from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s. Here he is giving a few minor tweaks to Joe Jenner’s 1921 Sunbeam 24HP 4.5 litre saloon prior to a hire as a bridal car. This very car was recently sold at auction for £110,000…
    Reference: 0016
  • A view past the Crown Hotel looking towards St Mary's School for girls and infants

    A view past the Crown Hotel looking towards St Mary's School for girls and infants

    Looking east towards town with Crown Hotel on the right opposite the Station. Notice the sign warning motorists they are approaching a School
    Reference: 0006
  • Crown Beerhouse 1890

    Crown Beerhouse 1890

    One of two beerhouses in town, these had a restricted license only allowing the sale of ale and porter as alcoholic beverages, as against a full-license public house or hotel that could sell spirits alongside beer. It is not known whether the Crown beerhouse was tied to a brewery or was independent, and it is ...
    Reference: WH0074
  • Crown Beerhouse 2015

    Crown Beerhouse 2015

    Site of Crown Beerhouse, closed in the 1930s. As the name implies, Beerhouses had a much reduced license compared to pubs and could only sell ales, stout and fruit cordials
    Reference: 0056
  • Crown Hotel & Station

    Crown Hotel & Station

    Reference: 0057
  • Crown Hotel Facilities Booking Form

    Crown Hotel Facilities Booking Form

    This booking form dating from between the wars, gives some account of the facilities on offer to the traveller in a less regulated and more primitive era with no central heating and a charge for hot water, garaging and servants.
    Reference: WH0106
  • General Wolfe Inn and the Long Pond circa 1904

    General Wolfe Inn and the Long Pond circa 1904

    After a very long stint as the ‘brewery tap’ and then a small ‘tied-house’ the General Wolfe pub sadly closed in 2017.  As the Royal British Legion clubhouse in Mill Lane has also closed and the ‘Warde Arms’ in the High Street closed as a pub in the 1970s, it is a long walk to ...
    Reference: 0025
  • General Wolfe Outing 1898

    General Wolfe Outing 1898

    Black Eagle Brewery Tap publican John Francis and friends outside The General Wolfe Inn 1898, on their way to the races on Derby day. Note the company trading title above the window as Ben Bushell had yet to clinch the deal of takeover of Smiths brewery at Blighs in Sevenoaks. In 1904 the Company would ...
    Reference: WH0064
  • George & Dragon, Market Square 1902

    George & Dragon, Market Square 1902

    The flags are very likely to celebrate the coronation of Edward VII in August 1902
    Reference: 0013
  • Grasshopper on the Green & Shops 1902

    Grasshopper on the Green & Shops 1902

    Like its neighbour the George & Dragon in Market Square, the Grasshopper on the Green was a tied house owned by the Croydon brewery Nalder & Collyer.  As the advertising board on the pub roof displays, the brewers would often promote themselves through ‘Nalder & Collyer Entire’ where ‘Entire’ was a strong dark triple-blended beer ...
    Reference: 0058
  • Grasshopper on the Green circa 2017

    Grasshopper on the Green circa 2017

    Reference: WH0073
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