Sandwiched between John Gunn’s poultry and fish shop on the left, and William Fox the chemist on the right, the Fountain Coffee Tavern was a popular venue for cyclists and offered very reasonably priced overnight accommodation. Being a Temperance establishment, it was the preferred venue for meetings of the ‘Westerham Total Abstinence Society’
The Fountain Coffee Tavern & Temperance Hotel 1900
So where did the weary shopper go for refreshment and a catch-up with friends? A walk across the road to today’s ‘Ellenor’ charity shop would have taken shoppers to ‘The Fountain Coffee Tavern’ next to the familiar frontage of what was then a wet-fish shop and ice-dealer (there were no refrigerators in the 1900s home!). A popular haunt with cyclists at the time indicates that in some ways, little has changed, and Edwardian cafe culture drew the same audience then as it does today, but even though coffee shops these days don’t tend to sell alcohol, there was a blatant message revealed in the full title of that establishment being ‘The Fountain Coffee Tavern and Temperance Hotel’ where customers were invited to try ‘Temperance Wines and Syrups’ as their newspaper advertisement shows below. With eight pubs and two breweries in town, the Temperance movement obviously felt an alternative refreshment should be on offer!
Comments about this page
In the 1901 census, my great grandfather (John Smith) is listed as being the manager The Fountain Coffee Tavern. His original occupation was a coachsmith in Hertfordshire so we assume he moved to Westerham and took on this role because of his Methodist links to the temperance movement.
Thanks Joe, I would think that’s highly likely, there were strong connections between all religious orders and the Temperance movement. The construction of the Fountain Coffee Tavern was funded by Elizabeth Moreton of the ‘Sisters of Clewer’ and daughter of the Revd. William Moreton Moreton who had moved with his family to Westerham.
Add a comment about this page