Harris the Dairy on Shipbourne Road

While looking through a 1912 guide to Tonbridge I discovered the above advertisement for Harris the dairy that was situated next to the George and Dragon Pub on Shipbourne Road. I'm not too sure why the sale of milk for invalids and the nursery could have been different than the  normal milk sold, (perhaps someone could enlighten me), but whatever it does mean it illustrates a service that we rarely get now-a-days. 

The building today has hardly changed and is still recognisable as the same that traded as a dairy in 1912.  I do have vague memories of this being a dairy until the early 1980's, and later a flooring retailer.  The building has been empty for years and is awaiting it's fate in connection with the proposed link between London Road and Hadlow Road.

Former Dairy taken from Star & Garter Triangle

Recognising Tonbridge Recognised

The Iconic Blue Clock

The bell on this Recognising Tonbridge post is above the blue clock on a wall adjacent to Derek Roberts Antiques who deal in antique, and rare clocks, from their Shipbourne Road premises.

It is always assumed that the blue clock belongs to the clock dealers, but it actually belongs to their next door neighbours.  On closer inspection I noticed that the clock face was badly damaged and had split in half. however no matter who the owner is it still remains an iconic feature in Shipbourne Road.

Tonbridge Ghost Sign Update

After a reader alerted me to the evidence that a ghost sign had existed on a building at 48 Shipbourne Road, there were number of comments on the blog, which helped to solve the mystery of the strange parallelogram.

This odd shape obviously revealed part of the original painted advertising sign.

Martin left a comment that a tool-hire company had fixed the parallelogram shaped sign, which read 'Tools for Hire' and the wall was painted after it was in place.  At that time a tool-hire company traded from the premises.

He also added that the building was owned by H.V. Wildash & Sons (Brkrs) in the late 1940's.



Today as I was walking along Shipbourne Road I noticed that a driveway along the side of the building was open, which gave me the opportunity to look at the complete side of the house.  At the bottom of the wall there were a number of large letters.  The first letters seem to read WHEATEN ...  the next larger letters only DR and possibly A is legible. The white paint covering the words is peeling and so, given time, more of the letters will be revealed.  It is also possible that these words are part of a separate sign advertising another business.

And so the mystery continues ...

Shipbourne Road Ghost Sign

A reader contacted me this week with the information that she had spotted a ghost sign in Shipbourne Road.  It's situated high on the side of a building close to the One Stop shop.

I am assuming that what remains visible on the wall is only part of the orginal sign and, for some reason, the remainder has been painted over. It seems doubtful an advertising sign would have been as small as this. The lettering has deteriorated to such an extent that it is illegible, but hopefully someone may have some information to help to solve why it was originally there, and it can then be added to the list of the other 6 ghost signs still remaining in Tonbridge.

If you can help please email tonbridgedaily@gmail.com or comment in the box below.

TonbridgeDailySnippet

A marker showing the location of a former tollgate sits opposite the petrol station on Shipbourne Road

Tonbridge Daily Snippet

The Cage, a deer park, lay between Shipbourne Road and Hadlow Road in KingHenry VIII's 16th century.  It later became farming land and is now known as Cage Green, a residential area of North Tonbridge #TonbridgeDailySnippet