A Nation of Tea Drinkers

Around the town there were a surprising number of tea-shops to choose from during the thirties, forties and fifties. The Wolfe Cafe, long established facing The Green in the building which is now ‘Orvis,’ was still advertising a welcome in the late 1920s and early 1930s, and according to a local guide book of the time, was ‘situated in the most interesting portion of Westerham…’ 

In 1928 it was advertising ‘Under entirely New Management’ and was described as a branch of The Green House Tea Room, Lynton, North Devon, which amazingly, still exists!

‘The Old Way’ in the High Street opposite the Co-op was favoured by many as a rather special establishment… Local resident Rosemary Pearson had fond memories of certain delicacies “... the Watts sisters ran that very old-fashioned tea shop in the High Street, it was a lovely place and they made the most marvellous cheese straws spiced-up with paprika, and they served the most delightful cakes for those with a sweet-tooth…” Having been a building society, a flower shop and a funeral directors, this high street location has recently returned to selling liquid refreshment in the form of a very good range of ales and ciders, as an independent beer-house called ‘The Real Ale Way’.

Other establishments in the 1940s and ‘50s included Mrs Gutsell’s ‘Hope Cafe’ on the High Street, next to Townsends boot store on the corner of New Street, in what is currently M&F Hairdressers.

A friendly establishment but a bit more ‘service than environment’ was ‘English’s Cafe’ opposite Fred Woods’ grocers shop near Verrall’s Corner. The province of Harry English at that time, this little cafe proudly claimed to make ‘the best ice-cream in town’. Local resident Fred Webb takes a mental stroll down through the town “…further down the High Street there was the blacksmith’s forge on Verrall’s corner but on the other side of the road there was a nice little cafe, I think it was called Rowes, and I quite often used to go in there and have a chat and a cup of tea or drink of some sort...”

Apart from ‘Pitts Cottage’ at the western approach to the town and the Misses Haley’s ‘Stakes Tea Rooms’ at the bottom of Hosey Hill, there were also a couple of ‘up-market’ establishments just outside of the town for the discerning imbiber, a ladies lunch, or those travellers just passing through... To the north of the town at the top of Westerham Hill could be found ‘The Paddock Tea House’ offering a miniature golf course and splendid views over the Holmesdale Valley. 
Hookers Epitome for 1928 mentions an occasion of celebration on April 21 of that year - ‘a dance will be held to mark the opening of a new hall adjoining the Paddock Tea House at Hawley Corner, at the invitation of the proprietress, Mrs Celia Purslow...’
 This establishment, now ‘Shampan at The Spinning Wheel’, an award winning Indian restaurant, would have been very popular with the Catford Cycle Club during their annual hill trials in the 1950s.

To the south of the town, at the top of Hosey Hill could be found ‘Little Squerryes Guest, Luncheon and Tea House’, another gentle-paced establishment run by Miss Bowles.

The Tea House offered an overnight stay if required, with ‘…a chance to linger and enjoy the delightful walks.’ You could also purchase a pedigree Great Dane puppy if the desire arose…

But in the end Pitts Cottage outlived them all; that quiet unassuming place where tea and cakes had been served for so many years at the west end of the town. The parish church magazine promoted ‘specialities of the house’ in 1933 - ‘Bridge, Birthday, Christmas and Small Cakes to order at short notice, open for Morning Coffee, Home-made Cakes, Chocolate with Cream, Devonshire Teas and Luncheon too.’ From the outset around 1920, Mrs Mary Ann Shergold was in charge of the establishment, but by 1930 the ‘Misses’ Wilson had taken over. They ran the business through the second World War but by 1950 it was Miss Geraldine E. Wilson’s sole domain. Pitts Cottage continued to provide teas and lunches until the late 1980s, when it became ‘Kinara’, an Indian restaurant, for the next twenty years. Of recent time, Pitts has undergone successful application for change of use, has been extensively and sympathetically restored and has gone full-circle returning to a domestic residence as it last was in the early years of the twentieth century.