| Pubs |
The Orange Tree |
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The Orange Tree first obtained an ale off-license in 1873 but, as
Smith (1991) points out, it was 1895 before Mr Curling managed to get a
license to sell beer for consumption on the premises. His
application had been supported by 90 of the 113 householders in the
area, who signed a petition in favour of the application. There were 136 houses between here and the Engineer by this time; in 1889 there were less than 50 houses at Maxton, but by 1893 this had increased to 100. A full license was obtained later in 1895, with the beer being provided by Dawes' Maxton Brewery; it later became a Whitbread house. There is some disagreement as to whether the building was newly built or converted from two cottages around 1890. |
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The house was reopened under new management around 2005, with the proud
boast of being "Probably the Best Pub in Dover", but the new management
couldn't make a go of it and it closed in 2006 with an application for
planning permission to demolish the building and erect a block of flats. Despite having just reopened, you will notice a broken window on the first floor (left); the same window is broken now (February 2007). |
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It stood for many years next to the old Maxton tram shed, demolished some years ago, along with a private house, to build - you guessed it - a block of flats. For many years the tram sheds were used by the local council as a garage for their refuse lorries and road-sweepers. This can be clearly seen in the picture below, taken in 1983. |
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