Posted on Jan 9, 2019
THE STARTLED SAINT The house at the corner of Teston Road and St Leonards Street was formerly “The Startled Saint” Pub. It was the local pub used by airmen and ground crews stationed at close by RAF West Malling (now the Kings Hill estate) during the second World War. Under a recent ‘Planning Application’ approved by Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, it will be “bulldozed”, and replaced by 5 Houses. Thus, suffering exactly the same fate as its identical sister pub “The Duke Without a Head” at Wateringbury. The original “Pub Landlady” Alice Baker, claimed it was opened on the day WW2 started in 1939. Other reports suggest it was built later in early 1940. Whatever its origins the pub with its unique sign “a portrait of Saint Leonard being buzzed (or startled) by a Halo of Spitfires” was a haven to countless RAF fighter pilots flying from the airfield 1940-45. ln his book ‘Enemy Coast Ahead’ , Guy Gibson (later a VC for his Dam Buster raid) says of West Malling ‘that night we stood by, but the weather was bad, and the Group released the squadron at about nine. Down to the Startled Saint we went, complete with ground crews, to sample the beer, it was good and everyone was happy’. Guy Gibson after flying over Kent also wrote – ‘the Garden of England, with its green trees and green fields was cratered with thousands of white chalk bomb holes, in the area known as ‘Bomb Alley’. Other famous pilots and crew who flew from the airfield, and possibly leant against Saint’s bar, included John “Cats Eyes.” Cunningham, who supposedly ate carrots to improve his night time vision. His staunch navigator / radar operator ‘Jimmy Ranwsley’ co-authored the book ‘Night Fighter‘. By the time he came to West Mailing as Station Commander in 1943 Group Captain Peter Townsend was already a ‘Battle of Britain’ fighter ace. Later becoming equerry to King George 6th, he said ‘I was a professional airman with an irregularity of conduct and character which doomed me from high office’. Unfortunately, he became better known for his relationship with HRH Princes Margaret the Queens sister in 1950s. Not just Fighter Pilots were successful! In early 1943 the West Malling duty controllers managed to lure 3 brand new German Focke-wulf 190 Aircraft to land by error, on the airfield in thick fog. Thus, capturing one of these new fighters completely intact! In June 1944 the ‘Doodlebug Flying Bomb’ was launched against Britain. West Mailing became the main base for coping with the menace. Its’ Fighter Pilots, learnt the dangerous tactic, discovered by Roland Beaumont (later a famous test pilot) of flying within inches of the bomb’s wing to disrupt its flight and send it crashing to the ground. Maybe the “the new developers” can find some way of creating a memorial here, not just Pilots,...
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Posted on Dec 10, 2018
Uses of West Malling Accommodation Block at airfieldHi,I was reading through the history if the airfield on your site. It was very interesting and I do remember when the Ugandan asian fefugees where homed there for a while. I had made best friends with one of the young girls that been relicated there with her family. I often went to visit her before her family were rehomed. Families had been seperated by hospital curtains in large rooms. They all used to eat in a large mess room.When the mill where my father worked in Snodland closed, my family became homeless because we were in a mill house.My mother, myself and brother were homed at Kinghill airfield in what I assume now as being (officers?)airmen quarters. I was only 5 at the time. Each family had two small rooms. One living area and one bedroom. We had to share other facilites with all the other families in the block. No men were allowed in the blocks…so we were seperated from our father. He had to find his own accommodation as a lodger in Maidstone.He didn’t drive, so we didn’t see him often.The large gates were locked at night to prevent intruders and keep us in. The milkman used to give crystal jelly for our bones, cod liver oil and malt syrup.We had mice holes in all of the rooms, where my mother used to have to put mousetraps out all the time. The sound of the traps snapoing in the night used to wake us up,as they were under our beds too!We lived there in the hostel, as it was called then in 1964/65 until the housed were finished being built in Larkfield.Hope this little snippet fills a gap in the history of the...
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Posted on Oct 24, 2018
The Malling Society Autumn Newsletter
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Posted on Sep 18, 2018
Information we collect We collect information to identify your eligibility for membership of The Malling Society. This personal data is held securely on computer and is your completed membership application form by our Membership Secretary. Personal data is only retained for as long as you are a member of The Malling Society. How we use and share your information We may use your personal data to provide you with information about The Malling Society activities, outings, and other events. We may also share your personal data with other Malling Society committee members when necessary for your participation in the Society’s activities. We will never share your personal data with any person outside the Malling Society. Access to and correction of your information You are entitled to view any personal data we hold about you and to correct any inaccuracies in that data. Requests to do so must be made to the Membership Secretary, preferably in writing, and will be fulfilled within one month. Deletion of your information You are entitled to request the deletion of any of your personal data. Requests to do so must be made in writing to the Membership Secretary and will be fulfilled within one month. However, as we only collect personal information which is necessary to support you as a member of The Malling Society, we may be unable to continue your membership without the retention of your personal data. If you wish to continue your membership despite the deletion of your personal data, the Malling Society Executive committee will review your request on an individual basis and will make the final decision as whether membership can continue. 25th May 2018...
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Posted on Jun 18, 2018
The Ancient House List Entry Summary This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest. Name: THE ANCIENT HOUSE List entry Number: 1292809 Location 65 AND 67, HIGH STREET – THE ANCIENT HOUSE, HIGH STREET The building may lie within the boundary of more than one authority. County: Kent District: Tonbridge and Malling District Type: District Authority Parish: West Malling Grade: I Date first listed: 01-Aug-1952 Date of most recent amendment: 14-Oct-1996 Legacy System Information The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system. Legacy System: LBS UID: 392348 Asset Groupings This list entry does not comprise part of an Asset Grouping. Asset Groupings are not part of the official record but are added later for information. Details TQ 6957 WEST MALLING HIGH STREET 3/16 Numbers 65, 67 and The Ancient House 1.8.52 GV I Shops and storeroom, possibly originally priest’s house to nunnery, other building in monastic ownership or merchant’s house, later inn and jail. The Ancient House is circa 1160-80, with some possible 14th Century alterations, reroofed circa 1460 and refenestrated in early 19th Century. Nos 65 and 67 are 15th Century. Number 67 was rebuilt in the 17th Century but with link block to the Ancient House probably 16th Century, refenestrated in mid-19th Century. The Ancient House was originally a chamber block above undercroft with external staircase no longer extant and possibly part of a larger structure. Built of ragstone stone rubble and some tufa blocks with roughly quoined corners. Tiled roof and one 19th Century brick chimneystack. Two storeys. North front has 2 19th Century inserted casements with brick dressings. Ground floor has a 14th or 15th Century blocked pointed arched doorcase to ground floor left which led to the undercroft and a low positioned medieval blocked rectangular stone window opening. There is also a later doorcase with 20th Century door and 19th Century inserted plank door and adjoining casement. The East wall has part of a low semi-circular tufa arch remaining, indicating external staircase. Lack of evidence for windows on west end wall suggests there may have an earlier hall on the site of current 16th Century link block. Interior first floor chamber contains two windows of c1160-80 with chevron arches and scallop caps to first floor, a 15th Century stone chimneypiece with wooden bressumer and intact 15th Century sans-purlin roof with 3 tall chamfered crownposts with four headbraces. The crownposts are similar in type to Old Gilwyns Chiddingstone, dated to c1460. Evidence from a former inhabitant suggests there may be an undercroft with wooden access trap. Front part of numbers 65 and 67 is timber framed, refronted in stucco with old tiled roof with central brick chimneystack. Two storeys and attics. Number 65 has 2 casements to first floor and a 19th Century shopfront. Number...
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