Robin Hood (St Mary Cray)

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The site of the Robin Hood.

[[File:|thumb|right|500px|The site of the Robin Hood, at Scarlet Close / Google Earth Street View.]]

By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2017-12-25. Revised by 3.149.214.32, 2020-05-15.

There was a public house named the Robin Hood at the corner of Chipperfield and Sayes Court roads in St Mary Cray, the present address of the site being Scarlet Court. It was located c. 850 m NNE of Robin Hood Shaw, and while there is no evidence for this, it is conceivable that the pub name may have been inspired by the latter name. The first record of the pub dates from 1936, when it was owned by Wenlock Brewery Co. Ltd, while the 'shaw' is included on a map that is forty years older than this.

I have not been able to determine exactly when the pub closed. According to one site listing closed pubs this happened after 2000. The excellent London Pubology cites the date 'c2000', while also noting that the pub was 'demolished c1992'. The site's planning application historiography shows that applications to change the use from public house to offices etc. were sought and granted in 1991. These were withdrawn, but permission to demolish the existing buildings and construct 14 two-bedroom houses with associated parking spaces etc. was granted on 21 May 1992. Final details were only settled on 16 June 1993, but it seems possible demolition could have happened any time after 21 May 1992. As the permission was valid for five years, a new application would have been required if work had started after 21 May 1997 (or perhaps 16 June 1998), but clearly this was not the case. The following existing addresses are also referred to in the planning records: 61-63-65-67, 69, 71 and 73 Sayes Court Road, while the following new ones were created: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 Scarlet Close. Did the pub buildings also occupy 61-73 Sayes Court Road? Template:PnItemQry

Gazetteers

• Not included in Dobson, R. B., ed.; Taylor, J., ed. Rymes of Robyn Hood: an Introduction to the English Outlaw (London, 1976), pp. 293-311.

Maps

The Robin Hood is not shown on these maps.

• 25" O.S. map Kent XVI.3 (c. 1868; surveyed 1867). No copy in NLS
• 25" O.S. map Kent XVI.3 (1896; rev. 1895)
• 25" O.S. map Kent XVI.3 (1896; rev. 1895) (georeferenced)
• 25" O.S. map Kent XVI.3 (1908; rev. 1907)
• 25" O.S. map Kent XVI.3 (1932; rev. 1930-31)
• 25" O.S. map Kent XVI.3 (1947; rev. 1937-38)
• 6" O.S. map Kent XVI (1871; surveyed 1862-68)
• 6" O.S. map Kent XVI.NE (1898; rev. 1895) (georeferenced)
• 6" O.S. map Kent XVI.NE (1898; rev. 1895)
• 6" O.S. map Kent XVI.NE (1910; rev. 1907-1908)
• 6" O.S. map London Sheet T (1919; rev. 1914)
• 6" O.S. map Kent XVI.NE (c. 1938; rev. 1930-1931)
• 6" O.S. map Kent XVI.NE (c. 1944; rev. 1938)
• 6" O.S. map Kent XVI.NE (c. 1945; rev. c. 1938)
• 6" O.S. map London Sheet T (c. 1946; rev. 1938) (only partly revised)
• 1:25,000 map TQ46 (1957)
• 1" O.S. map Sheet 271 (Hills) (1896)
• 1" O.S. map Sheet 271 (Outline) (1896)
• 1" O.S. map Sheet 171 (1946)
• 1" O.S. map Sheet 171 (1961).

Sources

• Borough of Bromley: Planning: Application-Related Items
• Borough of Bromley: Property History
• Campaign for Real Ale: What ?ub: Robin Hood
• Brewery History Society Wiki: List of Wenlock Brewery Co. Ltd pubs, item No. 174.
• London Pubology: Robin Hood.

Background

• Wikipedia: Orpington Urban District.
• Wikipedia: St Mary Cray.

Notes

• 

  The site of the Robin Hood. Scarlet Close / Google Earth Street View.

• 

  The site of the Robin Hood. Sayes Court Road / Google Earth Street View.