Cheriton

Cheriton is a one-time village, but now is a suburb of Folkestone. It doesn't get mentioned on the international news, but Cheriton is the site of the Channel Tunnel terminal. It was also a military garrison and at time of writing (2024) a Gurkha unit is still based there. I just asked Vince Williams, who knows everything about Cheriton, who said "Somerset barracks has gone as is most of Burgoyne and most of Risborough. Napier has a slight reprieve as it is housing immigrants. So most of the barracks now are over where Sir John Moore Barracks were.

The parish of Cheriton was part of Elham Rural District from 1894 to 1898, when it became a separate urban district. This was abolished in 1934 under a County Review Order, with the larger part added to Folkestone and the remainder to Hythe.

Built in 1894 and still going strong now in 2018. Here is All Souls Church in Cheriton High Street The two pics are from different angles, but you can see it looks the same.

My sister was married in this church. On the day, she was shaking with nerves and looked very pale. We were all expecting her to collapse before the service was over. Then the vicar said "Will you take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife" and my brother-in-law promptly fainted! True story! :-)

A modern view of All Souls Primary School in Stanley Road. Still going strong today, although built in 1887 needless to say, it has undergone a lot of work over the years.

This is an interesting view of Cheriton High Street, sent to me by Mike Vernol. In the distance you can see the Palace Theatre, also known as the Cheriton Electric Hall. See pics below

Here you can see the theatre under both names. It was built in 1911, and it was located on the corner of Cheriton High Street and Sidney Road, Primarily built as a cinema, it doubled as a vaudeville theatre as well, and showed both each night. It was very popular with the soldiers from Shorncliffe Camp. Where is Sidney Road you ask? (As I did!) It was the next street up the hill from Stanley Road, and Alan Taylor says it is an unmade no-through road, and he thinks it is a car showroom now.

Update: Dan Davison wrote as follows - "Sidney Road is now known as Chilham Rd. My Grandfather Jeremiah McCarthy lived in Sidney Rd in the early 1900's and is supposed to be in the photo of King George but I don't know where. He was a notorious regular of the White Lion where he was known as the Irishman and sung songs!" Thanks Dan! :-)

Then & Now of Cheriton Road. I don't know the date of the one on the left, but the one on the right was taken in 2016

Harcourt School for girls. When I attended, Miss Ashdown was headmistress

Same school, only this is now Pent Valley Technology College, and is for both girls and boys. Where you see all this cement, it used to be green rolling lawns, complete with bomb shelters!

The Star Inn, Newington, just outside Cheriton, built in 1710 and was my local. Anyone who visited the Star will remember the beautiful painted wall inside. The tale goes that a passing traveller painted the whole wall in return for a bed and food. The photo on the right was taken in 1978 when it was being demolished to make way for the M20 and the Channel Tunnel.

The painting was of the inside of an inn, with coach and horses tethered outside the door. The character in the faces of the people depicted was amazing! Flo and Jerry Shorter were the last landlord & landlady.

Now let's have a few streets. We start with Surrenden Road, where I used to live, in the very house where you can see a lady standing gossiping. I was there much later than this photo though!

This is a pretty old one of Royal Military Avenue. On the corner you can see tobacconist and newsagent G. Dolton & Sons. I checked my 1958 Kelly's Directory, and listed at 2 Royal Military Avenue is still G. Dolton & Sons, and living above is Edward Harry Dolton, whom I am assuming was one of his sons. (Looking at this photo under a magnifying glass, the figure to the right of Mr. Dolton looks like a very small and ugly witch! Apologies if I have just insulted someone's Great-Grandmother)

Risborough Lane, showing the Papillon Home

Fosters Steam Laundry in 1903

Foster's Laundry at the bottom of what is now Ashley Avenue, behind the Cherry Pickers public house, (before they demolished it!) employed many women who moved to Folkestone to obtain employment there.

Rev. Hall Hall of St. Martin's church was so concerned about the welfare of these young ladies, in such close proximity to the army camp, that he built, with the help of Mr. Foster, a block of cottages opposite the laundry, known as Ashley Cottages - now Rose Cottages. They were managed by a housekeeper, and provided safe accommodation for the young employees.

The photo on the right and the information was gleaned from a wonderful book called 'St. Martin's Church, Cheriton. An Illustrated History' by Vincent Williams. The book is well researched, informative and written with a delightful sense of humour.

Mr. Williams has kindly given me permission to use any photos I wish from his book, and I plan to use that offer to full advantage!

Here is Vincent Williams himself! However, he assures us he no longer looks anything like this photo. He has lived in Cheriton all his life, and attended St. Martin's Church Sunday School in the mid 1970's until he was asked to leave for bad behaviour!

However, he was later forgiven, and was accepted as a choir boy.

The photo above was taken from the cover of the book, it's a lovely church isn't it?

This photograph dates from 1892, not many graves then were there?

There had been a few more deaths in Cheriton by 1925

I have had this photo of the Nave of St. Martin's on file for some time, and had it dated at 1892. But expect Mr. Williams could tell me if that is correct.

This one, and the one below were sent to me by Mike Vernol. They both show Horn Street school, and in this photo you can see St. Martin's Church up on the hill.

My first wedding took place in this church, as did my son's Christening five years later.

This photo, also taken from Vincent's book shows the 1912 choir along with its supplementary Ladies Choir.

I would guess that this photo of Cheriton High Street dates from the 40's or 50's. Note the Baptist Church over on the right. You will see more of that further down.

There must have been a circus in town, I can't think of any other reason why they would have had elephants trundling past the White Lion can you? I would guess it was 1920-1925, do you agree?

King George V certainly drew a bigger crowd when he rode the same spot as the elephants a little earlier didn't he? He came to Folkestone to inspect the troops at Beachborough before they left for the front. This is the picture that Dan Davison's Grandfather is supposed to be in.

The White Lion is in this one too, and it dates right back to 1906. Such a history that Hotel must have.

This photo of Cheriton High Street and the Baptist Church is old, but not as old as the one above. I wonder what was behind that wall on the right? It is not there now, it is all shops along there these days.

From humble beginnings - this is where the Cheriton Baptist Church began, in a former tradesman's shop in 1901

And here is how the above church looked in 2023, undergoing some repairs.

The Cheriton Baptist Church is located on Quested Road, and I would like to thank them for allowing me to use the above two photographs that I found on their website, located HERE

OK, who remembers this company? They were located on Ilex Road, where they moved from Foord Road. I personally remember it very well, because I worked there in the office for a while! It was owned by my step-father, Darkie Blackford, along with his other branch in Dover.

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When I first put up these two pics of Morehall School on Chart Road, I was bemoaning the fact that I hadn't been able to find any earlier photos of it. Vince Williams, who recently wrote a book on St. Martin's Church, and is currently writing one on the rest of Cheriton, sent me the scan below, taken in 1909. Nowadays it functions as Morehall Primary School, but when I lived in Cheriton it was strictly a boys Secondary Modern school. Time was that primary girls & boys in the area would attend Harcourt, which functioned as a primary for mixed and a secondary for girls. By the time I attended Harcourt, it was purely a Secondary Modern School for girls. Morehall school was a definite target for us girls, because it was full of boys the same age as us! Later on I believe the boys of that age went to Pent Valley along with the girls, unless of course they go to the Harvey Grammar School. I don't know what age of child attended when the photo below was taken. As I said above, Pent Valley, formerly Harcourt has been demolished, and Turner Schools operate both schools. This one is back to being a Primary school.

Isn't this one lovely? It shows the Cheriton Post Office, and Maycock the newsagent/tobacconist. I can't see a number anywhere on these shops. When I lived there, the Cheriton Post Office was at 22 Cheriton High Street, with Nuttalls on one side and Bodsham Farm Shops on the other. Maybe someone else can tell me if this is the same location. I don't remember Maycocks being there.

This school, which was originally there mainly for the children of the service people in Shorncliffe Camp, later became St. Martin's C of E Primary School, and is still going strong today. There is so much new housing in that area, that I am sure they are not missing the camp, which has mostly been demolished now.

Isn't it criminal that they could just demolish a piece of art like this?

Here is another one sent to me by Lisa & Tony. I also have it on my Aerial Page, but thought it should be here too.

These are the prefabs that were built hurriedly after the war in Biggins Wood. Tony tells me he was born in one of them!

I notice that the photo is titled Biggin Wood, yet I always understood it to be Biggins Wood. At least I am sure the road is called Biggins Wood Road isn't it?

Did those prefabs get torn down? Something tells me they did.

This photo was sent to me by Peter Hogben of Hawkinge. It was taken on Risborough Lane, near Cheriton Halt, right by the railway bridge that is still there. The lorries (with solid tyres) belonged to Reeves Transport, who were still in business when I lived there.

Left to right in the picture is 'Shagger' Wakefield - 'Bumper' Scott - Fred 'Lasher' Hogben (Peter's father) and Bill Tenee (Foreman)

Peter tells me that 'Lasher' meant Rough crew. We won't ask why Mr. Wakefield had his name will we? ;-) Thanks Peter - great photo!

Page Updated April 2, 2024

Isn't this a great photo? It too was sent to me by Peter Hogben. It was the building of the bridge over Risborough Lane in 1913. I would deduce that prior to that, they just had the arched bridge at Cheriton Halt station, which you can just see up on the right. and that in this photo, they were also removing the old bridge. The new bridge is still in use today. Peter was telling me that he was born in a house 200 yards away from here. Thank you Peter, this one is a collector's dream!

Here is another great photo, but I have to admit, I don't know where it is. Those shops look like the type that are along Cheriton High Street, however, I am confused by the long wall on the left. If anyone can positively identify this location, I would appreciate it. That pile of what looks like dirt on the right interests me too, the little boy doesn't look real, is he standing on top of it, or is he on display behind it? That, we may never find out!. RESOLVED! See next photo

Here we have Cheriton Recreation Park on Stanley Road. One of the little boys has a tricycle, but I am not sure about the other one, could it be a pretend lawn mower? The park is still there in 2023.

Another photo of Horn Street School, however, this time, the card is entitled 'The Schools', so did that building incorporate more than one school at one time?

As you can see, it has undergone a lot of alteration over the years, but they have definitely retained the same building and front portico. Removed all the unnecessary chimneys and the concrete and iron railing that I am sure many a lad became impaled upon! What a great photo this is, thank you so much Vince! Vince's book is available to purchase, I already have my copy!

Vince has now finished his second book. This time it is about the whole of Cheriton. I have my copy, and can recommend it! Click HERE not only to check out the book, but also to see how Vince looks these days! :-)

STOP PRESS!!

Thanks to Sarah Skeldon (neé Maycock) the man standing outside Maycock's is Henry Richard Maycock (1872-1963) who lived at 61 Cheriton High Street with his wife & two children. However, if that was his address, I don't think he lived above the shop. She also told me three generations of Maycocks kept The Star Inn at Cheriton: her gt-gt-granduncle Henry, his son Henry junior and then Albert Charles, Henry junior's son... this would have been from at least 1861 to 1926.

Pent Valley in 2017, and it was just announced that it is to close in the summer after the current Year 11 and 13 pupils complete their GCSEs and post-16 qualifications, respectively. It will re-open in September 2018 as a Free School run by Turner Schools Trust. Turner Schools said the new non-selective school - with a working name as Folkestone Free School - will cater for 11 to 18-year-olds and offer the EBacc qualification. I don't pretend to know what this means, but the article says it will be the first new secondary school to open in Folkestone in the last ten years. So does that mean it will then be back to the type of school it was originally, only co-ed? I bet they don't put the beautiful lawns back!

UPDATE: THE WHOLE SCHOOL HAS NOW BEEN DEMOLISHED. In 2023 The Turner School has a new box - er building with the entrance off Tile Kiln Lane. Not sure what they are doing with the land, probably multi-storey housing.

Hard to believe this was taken from almost the same place. The row of houses you see in the older photo are still there, behind the tree, but where the old alms houses used to be on the corner, they have built flats. I can't remember the denomination of the church when I lived there, but it has been rebuilt, and is a Methodist in 2017. In the next photo you can see No. 3 on the right, where I used to live. It looks to be very well looked after.

These are called Rose Cottages, but I think they must have been rebuilt, because they don't look old enough to me.

Not far from the same place in 2023. I believe the Co-op used to be the first shop on the left. The Baptist Church of course is still there, hidden behind all the signs & poles.

No elephants in 2023, the White Lion lost its licence a few years ago due to an incident with a firearm, and it has been neglected ever since. Looking at it now, I am wondering if it is a listed building, because why else would they remove roof tiles to allow the elements to destroy it. I guess they are waiting for it to get to the point of no return so they can say they have no choice but to knock it down and build more multi-storey housing on the site. What an eyesore! Whoever owns it should be ashamed.

Darkie (Roy) Blackford on the left, and Satch (John) Harwood on the right.

Same bridge in 2023, looks as if it could use a lick of paint.

As I said, this school is also now a Turner School. The Turner Trust have made this, and Pent Valley (formerly Harcourt School for Girls) a Free School. Not knowing exactly what that means, I asked on Facebook, and was told it means a type of academy, which is independent from the local authority but still state funded. It basically removes the local authorities responsibility for it. I asked more questions, like whether children are required to attend these types of school if it is the closest to where they live? Also, are they required to follow the same curriculum as the state schools, so if a child moves from one school to another, will they still be at the same level academically? However, nobody knew enough to answer me on that so far. If I find out, I will add it here.

This Google snip was sent to me by Diane Hagan, this is what she says about it: "It is definitely the shops in Cheriton High St, opposite the top of Ashley Avenue and I would say that the pile of dirt you can see there is where Park Rd is being created. I had the dubious pleasure of cycling up Ashley Avenue twice a day for 3 years en route to my workplace at Burgoyne Barracks, Shorncliffe so the scene is indelibly carved into my memory. If you look on streetview you can see that the roof line has not changed at all and the upstairs windows are virtually identical. One of these shops became a bicycle shop where my first brand new bicycle was purchased around 1958 after I almost came to grief on my old 2nd hand boneshaker. I can only assume the wall was in place prior to the shops being built on that side." I really think you are right Diane - thank you SO much, I was so sure we were looking in the opposite direction in the old photo. It was also before the Baptist Church was built, and I was wondering about the same wall in their photo above.

Three old photos of Ashley Avenue, showing the hills at the bottom. The one immediately above on the left dates from 1910, and I think the one above that is even older despite it being coloured. Above right is from 1909. Do you think those are milk wagons? A hundred & six years later we see the final view. Not much has changed except the amount of vehicles - and no horses.

Not far from Ashley Avenue, here is a Then & Now comparison of Cheriton High Street. In the 1912 view on the left you can just make out the Electric Theatre, the white building just past the White Lion. In the 2019 shot above, I thought at first that the building on the right was relatively new, as the brickwork looks modern. However, if you look closely at the far right of the 1912 picture, you can see the door and circular window with the white embellishment above it is still there in 2019. There has definitely been alterations to the building, but it is the same one.

Left and below are photos of Cheriton High Street at the corner of Risborough Lane. The photo on the left is from 1915, and a hundred and one years later, you get the one on the right. The buildings on the right appear to be in both pictures, likewise All Soul's Church and the building this side of it, which I think is the same one that has the small round window in the images above these. But the building housing the Co-op in the 2016 pic appears to be completely different.

I don't have a date for the photo of Risborough Lane above, but would guess it to be about a hundred years older than the 2023 pic on the right. All Soul's School looks more like a church in the old photo, with that tall spire. I know the school was built in 1887, so I doubt it was ever a church.

It's still a shop in 2022, but has a rubbish bin instead of a witch, and has also gained a post box. It was a post office for a while, not sure if it still is. It is now called Shorncliffe Stores, your friendly corner shop. Off Licence-Grocerty,Lottery-Pay Point-Pay Zone-Confectionary-Newsagent. Off Licence open til late. Wow! They certainly have most things covered.

Going back to Maycock's at 51 Cheriton High Street, I came across this one on the left, showing just the one shop. Looking back at the information Mark Hourahane gleaned from the library, we think we can date this card between 1914 and 1921, as the directories listed it as 51 - Maycock and the next building was 55, then after 1921 it lists the Post Office at 53. It also confirms that we have the correct location, because the houses next door are still there, and easily recognisable. I bet Mr. Maycock never imagined in his wildest dreams that one day, his shop would be a tattoo parlour!

You will also notice that the old postcard is entitled High Road, Cheriton. As far as I know, it was always called Cheriton High Street, but I stand to be corrected on that, the card probably wasn't published in Folkestone. I wonder why the man on the left is walking in the road? If he keeps going, he is going to walk right into a pile of horse manure! Update: Alan Taylor tells me this road was called Cheriton Street in his Pike's Directory, just to confuse matters!

In 2008 I had a message in my guestbook from Derek Bradford asking if I had a photo of the house in the Cheriton Road Cemetery, as he had grown up there. I didn't, but Alan Taylor did, and provided us with this lovely one. I asked Derek if he had been bullied in school when it was revealed where he lived. He told me he didn't, because he told them he had many invisible friends who came out at night, and would pay them a visit if they didn't behave! He told me the house was demolished in the mid 60's, but sent me this photo of the second chapel that was being used as a store room by the groundsmen at the time. He said he used to play in there as a child.

Bottom right is the best I can do for a 'Now' photo, as I had to get it from Cheriton Road in 2016.

Diane Hagan sent me this photo, and is hoping to find out more about it. Morehall definitely was an all-girls school at one time. But we are also having trouble figuring out the word between Morehall and 5 & 6. At first glance I thought it was Morehall Sods, but I don't think so! If it was in Canada, I would say it was Grds - as in Grades V & V1, but I don't think they were called Grades even in 1929 were they? Anybody recognise their Mother, or Grandmother?

Wasn't sure if this should have been on the Military page, but as it was taken along the side of Martin Walters garage in Cheriton Road, I decided to put it here. It is showing all the vehicles taken over by the A.R.P. in October 1939 to be used as First Aid vehicles and Ambulances. Thanks to Alan Taylor for this great photo.

I am sure everyone recognises this building, it is the Cheriton Library. I took this photo in 2014, and admit I know almost nothing about this building. Was it first built as a library? How old is it? I have never seen this particular location featured in an older photograph.

This is roughly where the Star Inn used to be, it's hard to tell exactly, the area looks so different now.

St. Martin's C of E Primary School in 2022. https://www.stmartinsfolkestone.com/

At the junction of Risborough Lane and Cheriton High St in 2023. You can see All Soul's School directly opposite.

Friend of mine, Mark Hourahane did some sleuthing on my behalf a few years ago, and checked out these buildings at close quarters. We came to the conclusion that Maycock's and the Post Office (With Mr. Maycock as postmaster) was at 51 and 53 Cheriton High Street, and I must say, the building looks a lot more like it than 61. He checked in the directories at the library too, and the address in the older picture is definitely 51 and 53, and the photo right is the way it looked when he checked. Knowing Folkestone, it has possibly changed hands by now.

This is a brief history of Cheriton by the Folkestone & District Local History Society. If you are interested in the long history of Folkestone, I urge you to join, you will learn a lot! If you are local, they meet up once a month in the Holy Trinity Church Hall, Sandgate Road, and have the most interesting guest speakers. If you are not local anymore, you can still join, and they will send you a newsletter covering everything that was discussed at their meetings. This is their website: Folkestone & District Local History Society

I don't have an exact date for this one, but it was Ashley Avenue in Cheriton after the Pent Stream had overflowed and flooded. I checked my 1949 Kelly's Directory, and there was no E.S. Rolfe in Ashley Avenue at that time, but I would guess it would have been 30's or 40's by the age of the vehicle. But stand to be corrected.

I can't show you a Now photo of the Bouverie Laundry & Carpet Beating Works because they are long gone, and I think the buildings are gone too. All I can tell you is they used to be in business in Park Road, Cheriton. I don't have a date for this photo either.

The very welcome Hour of Rest from the heat and humidity of the Sanitary Steam Laundry, which I believe went under the name of Fosters at one time. The cottages in the background were for some of the young ladies who didn't live in the area, where they would be kept safe from the soldiers at Shorncliffe Camp, not far away. Did they want to be kept safe? Ah, well I guess we will never know that.

This is the Bowls Club that I believe was on Cheriton Road, near Morrisons when this photo was taken, only I don't think Morrison's was there then. Now they have both Indoor and Outdoor Bowls at the same location.

This sketch of the Cherry Gardens was sent to me by Raymond Blanche. I can't give you a Now photo because I don't know exactly where it was located, only that it was at the bottom of Cherry Garden Avenue. It was a very popular place to go in the mid 1800's, and you could picnic, listen to music, or buy food at the house you can see in the picture. Alan Taylor did tell me the name of the lady who ran the restaurant there, but I am afraid I don't remember what it was.

This was Cycle Racing at the Morehall Sports Ground, St. Hilda Road in 1900 I don't think that sports ground is there any more.

Back to Risborough Lane again, right back to 1910. It looks like they were paving the road, and ran out of tarmac!

I took this picture of the sign on the bridge across Risborough Lane in 2014. This way, if you wipe out the sign with your vehicle, you can always come here to see who you should call!

I don't think I have this one on the Churches page yet, will have to rectify that. It is St. Joseph's Catholic Church on the corner of Ashley Avenue and Narrabeen Road. Not sure of the year as the card was unused. but the photo looks as if it was trying to snow that day.

A more modern one taken in 2009. You haven't changed a bit St. Joseph, with the exception of your front steps, and a possible raised flower bed. Oh dear, you have lost your crosses too!

Back to St. Martin's, this one is beautifully coloured, especially as it dates from 1911. I once walked through that Lych gate wearing a white dress, not quite as long ago as 1911 though.

By 2022 the trees had become too dense to get a good photo of both the gate and the church.

We will finish the page with another shot of All Soul's Church on Cheriton High Street. Have no date for this one.

But you can tell this one is much later by the height and width of that tree preventing a shot from the same angle.