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
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
Seen in this photograph taken circa 1920, two essential services, the purpose-built Westerham Post Office and the Fire Engine House, bearing a notice saying “Keys are kept with A. Maude Esq, Winterton House, C.Hooker ‘Glenholm’ Westbury Terrace, J. Hoath Supt. 3, South Bank”. Apart from Dr. Maude, who had his medical practice at home, all ...
Reference: WH0955
This photo-postcard shows the site of the toll-gate leading into Westerham from the east. The charge was 4 pence per horse – so if a wagon and four horses went through the toll was one shilling and fourpence but if they returned the same day they did not have to pay on the return journey. ...
Reference: WH1052
To the south of the town, at the top of Hosey Hill and shown here in the foreground could be found ‘Little Squerryes Guest, Luncheon and Tea House’. In the late 1920s this gentle-paced establishment run by Miss Bowles, offered an overnight stay if required and a chance to linger and enjoy a walk on ...
Reference: WH1054
A quiet corner of Westerham that has not seen a lot of change since this photograph was taken in the mid-1930s. There were, however, fewer cars around at that time, so Lodge Lane seems less cluttered than it does today.
Reference: WH1056
This view looking north down the London Road was taken circa 1912 and shows, on the right, the white-painted Corn Store on the corner of Madan Road. In the foreground three Victorian houses are ‘Haldon’ ‘Providence Villa’ and ‘Dettingen’ and beyond the Corn Store, the large house is ‘Fairlight’. This section of London Road was ...
Reference: WH1058
The building just in frame on the left that houses today’s (2018) ‘Touchline Physio’ was in the early 1900s the site of Stanley Vaus’ plumbing, painting and decorating business. The advertising hoarding erected next door on vacant land promotes ‘Cannock Chase Coal’ for sale by Benjamin Horton from his coal and timber yard to be ...
Reference: WH1059
A view from circa 1902 shows the houses built on the south side of Madan Road, looking from the London Road end. Two different builders were responsible for this development, one being Thomas H. Weller and the other being Joseph Wintle, who had his builders yard in Madan Road and, like Weller, retained ownership and ...
Reference: WH1060
While Park Cottages look pretty much the same today as they did in this 1902 photo-postcard, the estate fencing has gone and so has the lamp post – imagine if that was still there at what is today a busy and somewhat blind junction, not helped by overgrowth of hedges on both sides of the ...
Reference: WH1063
Unmistakeable in the background of this photograph is the white-painted Pitt’s Cottage. Moving towards the camera we have Great Moreton, which in 1900 was all one house and was occupied by the family of the Reverend Carr G. Acworth, Clerk in Holy Orders. In the foreground of the shot is Park View, so named because ...
Reference: WH1064
This photograph shows Currant Hill Cottage in the foreground with Richard Durtnell’s ‘Jubilee Terrace’ beyond. At that time there was no development on the south side of the road where the river ran. With that in mind, it always seems a little odd that the road was not called ‘Northbank’. As one of the promoters of ...
Reference: WH1067
Photographs of the actual farmhouse at Delegarde are fairly rare and this is the only one we know of with children in the shot. The other thing you almost never see is that the Oast House has a ‘cowl and cap’ on it as in this photograph. Of the number of shots that exist of ...
Reference: WH1050
Rebuilt from a former cordite storage hut purchased from Faversham Gunpowder Mills, this building was always referred to as the W.I. ‘hut’. It was in fact, quite sizeable, measuring 45 feet deep x 35 feet wide x 11 feet high, exclusive of a 9 foot-wide annex for kitchen, classroom etc. It was thought it would be ...
Reference: WH1080