Rainham Mark, Belisha Beacon, Hop and Vine pub, Kent Photos & Information

The Ever Changing Face of Rainham

Change in our Environment is a continual process. Even in the short time that this site has been running many changes have been seen. An example is from some shots taken in Rainham Mark in 2003 for use with the Time Machine pages. Since they were taken the Hop & Vine has been refurbished, the petrol station, Post Office and newsagents have closed.

This area is a perfect example of how change in the urban environment is a never ending process. Since the article originally written in 2005 the aread has changed further. As of November 2010 the Hop and Vine pub has closed down and the site of the former Shell/Texaco petrol station remains derelict despite various attempts to obtain planning permission for alternative uses. The former Rainham Mark post office remains empty and the newsagent has now been converted to an Osteopath surgery.

Hop and Vine pub Rainham Mark, now boarded up with former Rainham Mark post office and Shell/Texaco petrol station in distance

Belisha Beacon pub, Rainham Mark in 1950s - note the saloon bar and public bar door signs

The Hop and Vine was originally known as the Belisha Becon pub. More info about the origins of Rainham Mark can be found on the website below

http://www.medwaymemories.co.uk/men_of_kent.htm

2003

2005

2010

2011

History Articles

Ward Homes Sales Brochures and Promo Leaflets from the 1960s For Rainham Park Housing Estate - now know as Parkwood

These Parkwood homes brochures have been kindly scanned and provided by Craig Blum. 

The photos show many of the designs of Ward Homes houses that can still be seen across Parkwood estate from Cherry Tree Road to Lonsdale Drive and around the roads off Long Catlis Drive. This was originally known as Rainham Park estate and was at one time the largest private housing estate in Europe which was built on ancient woodland outside Wigmore and Rainham Kent.

A PDF of the complete brochure can be viewed here.

The achievement of the huge scale of the development is even more significant when you consider that the entire area was developed by a single company, Ward Homes.

The Wards development was Rainham Park, started c.1960 at Kenilworth Drive , this house is corner of Windermere Drive/ Sandown Drive, c.1967. We moved to 103, Lonsdale Drive, July 1965 when it was new, happy days. Parkwood was just starting with Deanwood Drive, top of Lonsdale and south side of Tanker Hill developed by Property Estates Developments, eventually taken over by Sunley Estates

History Articles

Rainham Telephone Numbers

List compiled by David Auger from British Phone Books. These show the local Rainham businesses in the early 20th Century and the growth of the telephone between 1908 and 1925.

July 1908

Rainham 1 PUBLIC CALL OFFICE E. Cozens

Rainham 10 ADIE Charles , Jobmaster “White Horse”

Rainham 15 ASSOCIATED Portland Cement Manufacturers

(1900) Ltd ( Clay Manager ) Newport villas

Rainham 2 BARRON & Co. Ltd, Portland Cement Manfrs Falcon Cement wks

Rainham 12 BRICE S.J. & Sons Clay Merchants Tufton rd

Rainham 8 BRICE W. & G., Clay Merchants Station rd

Rainham 4 CO-OPERATIVE Society Rainham

Rainham 9 CURLING Walter Philip , Handicapper Lion hotel

Rainham 5 KEMP Bros, Builders & Contractors Rainham

Rainham 14 KNIGHT Alfred Joseph , Brick Manufr Otterham quay

Rainham 11 MARTIN, Earle & Co. Ltd., Cement Mnfrs Wickhm Rchstr

Rainham 6 PENFOLD Fred W. H., Surgeon Maidale house

Rainham 3 POLES H. N. Cement Manufacturer Rainham

Rainham 13 SCOTT Fred , Farmer Rainham

Rainham 7 WAKELEY Bros, Corn, Brick Mrchnts Rainham

Rainham 16 WAKELEY Joseph Moor st ho

July 1909

Rainham 1 PUBLIC CALL OFFICE Cozens, E.

Rainham 10 ADIE Charles , Jobmaster “White Horse”

Rainham 2 BARRON & Co. Ltd, Portland Cement Manfrs Falcon Cement wks

Rainham 12 BRICE S.J. & Sons, Clay Merchants Tufton rd

Rainham 8 BRICE W. & G., Clay Merchants Station rd

Rainham 4 CO-OPERATIVE Society Rainham

Rainham 9 CURLING Walter Philip , Handicapper Lion hotel

Rainham 5 KEMP Bros, Builders & Contractors Rainham

Rainham 14 KNIGHT Alfred Joseph , Brick Manufr Otterham quay

Rainham 11 MARTIN, Earle & Co. Ltd., Cement Mnfrs Wickhm Rchstr

Rainham 6 PENFOLD Fred W. H., Surgeon Maidale house

Rainham 3 POLES H. N. Cement Manufacturer Rainham

Rainham 1 POST Office (for Postal facilities ONLY) High st

Rainham 13 SCOTT Fred , Farmer Rainham

Rainham 16 WAKELEY Joseph Moor st ho

Rainham 7 WAKELEY Bros, Corn, Brick Merchants Rainham

January 1910

Rainham 1 RAINHAM High Street Cozens, E.

Rainham 10 ADIE Charles , Jobmaster “White Horse”

Rainham 2 BARRON & Co. Ltd., Portland Cement Manfrs Falcon Cement wks

Rainham 12 BRICE S.J. & Sons, Clay Merchants Tufton rd

Rainham 8 BRICE W. & G., Clay Merchants Station rd

Rainham 4 CO-OPERATIVE Society Rainham

Rainham 9 CURLING Walter Philip , Handicapper Lion hotel

Rainham 5 KEMP Bros, Builders & Contractors Rainham

Rainham 14 KNIGHT Alfred Joseph , Brick Manufr Otterham quay

Rainham 11 MARTIN, Earle & Co. Ltd., Cmnt Mnfrs Wickhm Rchstr

Rainham 6 PENFOLD Fred W. H., Surgeon Maidale house

Rainham 3 POLES H. N. Cement Manufacturer Rainham

Rainham 1 POST Office (for Postal facilities ONLY) High st

Rainham 13 SCOTT Fred , Farmer Rainham

Rainham 15 WADE Arthur C. , “Alindene” Century rd

Rainham 16 WAKELEY Joseph Moor st ho

Rainham 7 WAKELEY Bros, Corn, Brick Merchants Rainham

September 1924

Rainham 10 ADIE Charles , Jobmaster “White Horse”

Rainham 35 ANDREWS C. E., Estate Agent, Buses Wigmore ho

Rainham 19 Barclays Bank Ltd. Rainham

Rainham 2 BARTLETT A., Motor Engineer 4 High st

Rainham 23 BATES Edward Macklands

Rainham 12 British Standard Cement Co. Wharf rd

Rainham 15 CLARK W. A., Farmer Pump fm Lr Rainham

Rainham 37 COLYER W. E., Stores, Estate Agent Rainham mark

Rainham 4 Co-operative Society Rainham

Rainham 24x3 DICKER Rev. A. G. H. Upchurch Rctry

Rainham 22 DURRELL W. & R. Genl. Engrs., Mlwrghs London rd

Rainham 11 Eastwoods Ltd., Brickmakers Lwr Halstow Nwngtn

Rainham 42 FILMER A. E. Waverley Lwr Rainham

Rainham 33y3 FINCH Rev. J. A. The Vicarage Brht

Rainham 17y3 FOX L. J. St Josephs Maidstone rd

Rainham 31 GILLHAM E. R. York rd Wigmore

Rainham 24y3 GRAY Major M. K. East Moor

Rainham 28 GROVE F. E., Irnmngr, Hrdwre Dmstc Rainham market

Rainham 32y HALES W., Butcher Upchurch S’borne

Rainham 24x1 HARVEY Leonard , Estate Agent Ottenham farm

Rainham 18 HERROD L. M. Horticultural Chemist Rainham

Rainham 24y2 HINGE A., Farmer Horsham fm Upch

Rainham 33y2 HOGG W. H. , Farmer Bredhurst

Rainham 26 HOLLANDS Helena Maria P.O. Hartlip

Rainham 20 The International Tea Co.’s Stores Ltd. 92 Station rd

Rainham 29 JONES J. T. , Florist & Fruiterer 10 London rd

Rainham 5 KEMP Bros, Builders & Contractors Rainham

Rainham 33x1 KING Edward , Builder, Haulge Cntrctr King’s Lanley

Rainham 34 LACK W., Builder Heathfld Wigmore

Rainham 33y1 LEWIS G. I. W. , Commander R.N. Greencrt Bredhrst

Rainham 3 MATTOCKS F. T. Architect & Surveyor 111 Station rd

Rainham 36 MOAKES Charles Watling ho London rd

Rainham 33x2 MONDAY J., Licensed Victualler The Bell Bredhurst

Rainham 9 MOORE James Wm., Licensed Victuallr Lion Hotel

Rainham 24y1 O’CONNELL T. B., Brickworks Otterham quay

Rainham 38 PACKER Fred , Motor Haulage Cntrctr 33 High st

Rainham 8 POPE H. C. , Major R.M. Meresborough ho

Rainham 32x PRESLAND G. E. , Grocer & Draper Upchurch

Rainham 13 SCOTT Mrs. Fred. , Hop, Fruit Grower Rainham

Rainham 14 SIEMS & Son, Turf accountants Milton ho

Rainham 24x5 SOUTH Bert , Butcher & Grocer Halstow Sittingbourne

Rainham 21 STEWART James, Farmer Bloors pl Lr Rainham

Rainham 25 STINTON A. V. , Builder & Contractor Rainham

Rainham 17y2 SWAIN G. C. , Builder & Decorator Wigmore G’ham

Rainham 6 SYMONS Percival Washington , Medical

Practitioner Mardale ho

Rainham 43 TADMAN J. & Son, Wholesale Fruiterers Cntrctr High st

Rainham 17y1 TAYLOR Clifford John , Surgeon Karnak Woodside Wigmore

Rainham 17x3 TICKNER Mrs. K. , Tea, Tennis Grounds St Elmo Wigmore

Rainham 17y4 TURNER Edmund, Cooper Wigmore

Rainham 33x4 VELLA & Sons, Pig Breeders The Victory, Matts hill

Rainham 17x4 WAGNER J. J., Lieut. R.N. Talavera Wigmore

Rainham 7 WAKELEY Bros. (Rainham Kent Ltd.) Rainham

Rainham 16 WAKELEY Joseph Moor St ho

Rainham 27 WAKELEY Sydney Church ho

Rainham 30 WERNETT A. J. Hamilton av

Rainham 41 Wigmore & District Smallholders Club Springvale

Rainham 17x1 Window Cleaning & Carpet Beating Co. (The

Competent) Oakdene Springvale Wigmore

Rainham 24y4 WRAIGHT T. J. , Baker & Confectioner Upchurch S’brne

History Articles

The tinted colour photos of Upchurch Pottery shop and Tudor Cafe in Rainham Kent are commercial postcards.  My parents had done them as 'publicity' for the Tudor Cafe.  I do not know if the postcard company,  Rafael Tuck, still exists.

The newspaper cutting of Edward Baker would likewise have been the copyright of the local newspaper (I think, the "Kent Messenger"), which printed it, but since that was also mid 1930s, must also be free of copyright.

The black and white photo of the cafe was probably taken in the mid 1930s by a local professional photographer on commission by my parents, since it looks rather good for a 'snap' by someone in my family.

The address was 333 High Street Rainham.   The Potter, Edward Baker, originally worked at Upchurch Pottery, and was part of the Baker family who owned it and had brought it to Upchurch from Hoo many years before.   When my parents bought it, they set up a pottery and kiln on the 333 High Street site, and they employed Edward Baker, who came to work there.  This was named the Roeginga Pottery, after the Roman name of the area.
My mother was a talented pottery decorator, and many of the pots made there had floral decorations which she had painted.

As far as I can understand they then sold the original Upchurch Pottery, with the intention of maintaining pottery manufacture at the High Street site, until the ambitions of Adolf Hitler put a stop to all that.

History Articles

The Thai Chilli Restaurant at the Green Lion has closed. As of 2020 The Green Lion pub has also closed and has been sold

History Articles

Local Documents about Rainham

These documents are not historical records but show more about everyday life in Rainham Kent over the years.

Programme for Rainham Horticultural Society Show 1957

Fairview School Oral History Project - video and transcripts of interviews including Freddie Cooper

Costs of Building in Woodside,Wigmore 1939

Rainham Jubilee Parade, June 2002 (2.5Mb WMV video file, fast connection recommended)

History Articles

What was the cost of Building a New House in Woodside,Wigmore in 1939?

My grandparents purchased a plot of land in Woodside in 1939 to build their own property when the whole area was being sold as individual plots for people to build on. The construction began in July 1939 and was completed in March 1940 despite the war starting and my grandfather being called up.

The invoice from the builder for constructing their bungalow is shown below. There are not many houses that you could build for £430 now! Bear in mind this was just the house building and the plot was purchased separately. You can read about the sale of plots across the area here Wigmore Estate Plans from 1912

Click on the image for a detailed version

The builder was SC Leadbetter & Co of 105 Bedhurst Road, Wigmore, Builders, Decorators and General Repairs.

History Articles

This is a copy of a menu card from the Tudor Cafe, date is probably about 1938 - shows the prices that were charged for tea, coffee, cakes, etc.

Even allowing for inflation they seem very low to me - but the cost of labour was far lower in proportion to other costs than than it is now (and my impression has always been that my parents were not very good 'business people' - e.g. would charge very low prices so as to be 'fair' and not aim for reasonable profits by putting up costs to a higher level!)

History Articles

Friends of St Margaret's Church, Rainham, Kent

There will soon be information about the Friends of St Margaret's Church, Rainham here.

To visit the St Margaret's Church, Rainham web site, please click here.

History Articles

Rain water Harvesting,Water Storage/Conservation for Beating the Drought

Water Saving Ideas to Beat The Drought and Rainwater Harvesting Systems

With the current drought situation in Kent (2012) and the rest of South East England due to the lack of rain since 2010 it is becoming more essential to find ways to conserve water and to provide sources for storing additional water to beat the drought if you need to water your garden etc.

The photo below shows water butts connected to a gutter downpipe and connected together to allow all three water butts to be filled directly from the downpipe when it rains. This allows a total of 600 litres (3x200 litres) of water to be stored in these water butts. The IBC tanks are also connected directly to the gutter down pipe and store a combined 2000 litres of rainwater.

If you have any comments or suggestions about this article please use the contact page

With the current drought situation in Kent and the rest of South East England due to the lack of rain it is becoming more essential to find ways to conserve water and to provide sources for storing additional water to beat the drought if you need to water your garden etc.

Using water tanks to capture or harvest rainwater can also help to reduce your water bill if you are on a water meter. By 2015 Southern Water propose to meter all properties in their supply area and South East Water by 2020 so very soon it will be worth investing in water saving devices. Standard water butts can be used but normally will only hold around 200 litres of rainwater which can easily be used up in a day or two to water a large garden.

I have investigated various methods to store additional volumes of water in the most cost effective way. 

Large volume water tanks are ideal unless you have sufficient space to store large numbers of small water butts or rainwater tanks. A cheap water butt can be made from reused juice tanks holding around 200 litres which cost around £10 compared to £30-£35 for a purpose built water butt. Another efficient way to save water would be by installing flow meters in your home to control the amount of water being used. 

Integrated Bulk Containers (IBC) are used for transport of various liquids either foodstuffs or chemicals and normally hold 1000 litres.

If you can get hold of IBCs that have been used for transporting foodstuffs then they make ideal water storage tanks. It is best to avoid ones used for chemical transport to avoid contamination unless the tanks can be cleaned.

IBCs are usually supplied in a metal cage as per the photo which allows for easy stacking on pallets for transport but also allows them to be stacked for connection to guttering down pipes for maximum rain water collection efficiency. Large juice tanks can also be used and can hold approx 1500 litres of rainwater but are very high – about 1.8 metres tall.

You should also bear in mind the weight that these rainwater tanks will be when full. Each litre of water weighs 1kg so a full 1500 litre water tank will weigh over one and a half tonnes (1500kg)! It is therefore essential to make sure the ground beneath the tank is able to support such a weight.

Use of IBC containers for storage of 1000 litres of rainwater means the equivalent of 5 water butts can be stored in a tank 1 metre square. 1500 litre rainwater containers. Rainwater harvesting is increasingly being promoted as an environmentally friendly way of reducing the impact of water usage and also a way of reducing your water bills if your water supply is metered.

Once in a tank water pumps can be used to move the water around. These pumps can be purchased from as little as £30 which can be a cost effective way to pump water.

Suppliers of IBC Tanks

http://www.rainharvesting.co.uk/products/pumps.htm

http://www.smithsofthedean.co.uk/Recycled%20Containers.htm

DV Fuels -IBC Tanks- Wrexham

If you can get hold of IBCs that have been used for transporting foodstuffs then they make ideal water storage tanks. It is best to avoid ones used for chemical transport to avoid contamination unless the tanks can be cleaned.

IBCs are usually supplied in a metal cage which allows for easy stacking on pallets for transport but also allows them to be stacked for connection to guttering down pipes for maximum rain water collection efficiency. Large juice tanks can also be used and can hold approx 1500 litres of rainwater but are very high – about 1.8 metres tall.

You should also bear in mind the weight that these rainwater tanks will be when full. Each litre of water weighs 1kg so a full 1500 litre water tank will weigh over one and a half tonnes (1500kg)!

It is therefore essential to make sure the ground beneath the tank is able to support such a weight. Use of IBC containers for storage of 1000 litres of rainwater means the equivalent of 5 water butts can be stored in a tank 1 metre square.

1500 litre rainwater containers are also available which have previously been used for orange juice transport.

Rainwater harvesting is increasingly being promoted as an environmentally friendly way of reducing the impact of water usage and also a way of reducing your water bills if your water supply is metered.

Once in a tank water pumps can be used to move the water around. These pumps can be purchased from as little as £30 which can be a cost effective way to pump water.

History Articles

Programme for Rainham Horticultural Society Show 1957

The scans below are of the Programme for Rainham Horticultural Society Show 1957. They show some of the local businesses in Rainham Kent that were operating in 1957 which gives a glimpse into life in Rainham in the 1950s. Very few of these local traders are still operating in Rainham.

Click on the pages to see a larger version. Notice the adverts for Watts The Chemist and other shops that have since closed.

	Click on the pages to see a larger version. Notice the adverts for Watts The Chemist and other shops that have since closed.

History Articles

Maps of Rainham Kent over the years. These maps show how Rainham Kent has grown in size over the last 150 years.

View Larger Map

Rainham Mark c1869

1938 Map as PDF file (580kb)

History Articles