Wainscott, Kent

Wainscott is a small village in Rochester, in Kent. It is in the civil parish of Frindsbury Extra, in the Medway Unitary Authority, that is Medway Council. By 1950 it had been absorbed into the neighbouring residential areas of Strood. Wainscott itself is located immediately next to Frindsbury, and is surrounded by beautiful agricultural land, as well as ancient woodlands. It is speculated that the name is derived from the OE meaning Wagonner Cot or Wagon Shed.[1]

R H Dean Greengrocery, 1 Dickens Terrace, Wainscott circa 1900

Wainscott
Wainscott Location within Kent
District	Medway
Shire county	Kent
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Rochester
Postcode district	ME2, ME3
Dialling code	01634
Police	Kent
Fire	Kent
Ambulance	South East Coast
UK Parliament	Rochester and Strood

Tilemaking at Wainscott [2] A map dated 1711 shows this hamlet as consisting of a house and a few cottages known as Windscott, the name probably referring to a collection of cottages in an exposed or windy place. The house was called 'White Horse' and, since the hamlet was situated on a crossroads on the road to the Isle of Grain, it may well have been an inn. By 1838, the name had been corrupted to Wainscott and a local pottery industry was already in existence by 1842. The main works was the Wainscott Pottery owned by a Henry Hone and next to this was a smaller operation owned by Thomas Fox. The reason for their location is easily explained by investigation of the local land ownership at this time. Nearby at Four Elms Hill were two clay pits owned by a William Beadle, who was something of an entrepreneur. Beadle also owned the land to the immediate east of the road in Wainscott and it was here that the potteries were set up. Thus, not only did he sell the clay to the potteries but he also got the rent from their premises as well as the adjacent workers’ cottages. It must have been quite a monopoly for him as well as being rather lucrative. Both potteries produced tiles for the expanding building industry and some may have found their way to London together with the local brick trade. The tithe records also list an Edward Hone (limeburner at Upnor) and a John Hone (brickmaker at Bill Street). It is not known if they were related to Henry Hone but it is possible that this was an example of a family diversifying into all aspects of supplying the building industry. Henry later went on to own the Kings Arms pub and John the Old Oak Inn. By 1858, there had been a change of proprietors and the potteries were now owned by Thomas Baker and Jesse Clark Foster. It is likely that the larger premises belonged to the latter since, in 1877, Foster bought the clay pits from the Executors of Beadle who had by then died. With this assumption, Baker must have sold out after a few years to Messrs Charlton & Matthews since, in the book "Industrial Medway" by J.M. Preston, they are mentioned in an advertisement dated 1868. This reference is interesting since it shows the diverse range of products being produced i.e. oven & paving bricks and tiles; pan, plain & ridge tiles; sanitary & land drainage pipes; chimney, flower & paint pots; garden & edging tiles. In the meantime, Foster continued to expand his pottery and took his son Theophilus into partnership in 1867. In 1871 they were shown as brick and tile manufacturers but there is no evidence that they had the necessary equipment at their clay pits to make bricks on site. Since it was a competitive business locally, it is more likely that they produced specialised bricks at their premises. In 1882 they sold out to Francis Hazell, who produced bricks, tiles, drainpipes and chimney & garden pots. The 1862 Ordnance Survey map shows a draw well next to each of the potteries. Whereas these may only be water wells, there is also the possibility that they were chalk wells. The census of 1871 lists a William Eloine of Wainscott who was described as an ‘excavator’. This is a peculiar term since men who dug clay were normally described as merely labourers and it seems to imply extraction at depth. He could of course have been a local well sinker but, again, the latter term is usually used in census job descriptions. One clue is given in an article on deneholes written by F.J. Spurrell in 1882, when he mentions a denehole (properly termed a chalkwell) which was then being used at Plumstead for a tile works. It is known that a small quantity of chalk was added to normal bricks to prevent shrinkage during firing and possibly this was also done in the case of tiles. If products of a yellow colour were required, like the Stock Bricks, a greater proportion of chalk would have to be added to get the colouration. Thus, it is possible that the local tile works had chalkwells on the premises to obtain their own supplies of chalk.

Enumerator’s Description of Wainscott on 1861 Census

Part of the Parish of Frindsbury without the boundary of Rochester. Comprises all the houses and cottages which lies on the south west side of the Land Water Sewer from White Wall Creek to the High Road leading from Hoo to Wainscott, Small’s Farm and Brompton Farm including the Quarry Farm and Cottages, Chatt Home houses, White Wall Cottages, Manor Farm and cottages. Wainscott both sides, Home Street both sides, and Bill Street both sides with Brompton Farm

The History of the Stag Inn, 56 Wainscott Road

The 1851 census shows that living at 58 Wainscott Road was a Henry Hove with his family and he was a ‘retailer of beer’. The 1861 census reveals that Henry Briggs (an agricultural labourer) was living in the same area of Wainscott with his family, his niece and four lodgers. His 22-year-old son George Briggs was described as a ‘licenced victualler’ & a ‘labourer in the War Department’. An Ordinance map for 1871 denotes a BH (beer house) where the current Stag Inn is located. The 1871 census shows a William Perch, a ‘licenced victualler’ aged 70 was living in the beer house with his wife Anne. 1878 licencing records show that George Cheeseman was then the licenced victualler. The 1881census shows Robert Harris aged 27 ‘licenced victualler’ living there with his wife and a 16-year-old general servant. The 1891 census reveals that 49-year-old licenced victualler John Potterton lived there with his wife, a bar maid and a general servant. An 1897 Ordinance map denotes a P (Public House) and also states ‘Stag Inn’. The 1901 Ordinance map denotes ‘Stag Inn’. The 1901 census shows Jane Potterton aged 59, a widow and licenced victualler living there with a servant, a 14-year-old pot boy barman and two visitors. The 1911 census shows A Francis H Jones aged 46, a licenced victualler living there with his family. In 1918 licencing records show a William B Day, a licenced victualler living there. A 1927 Ordinance map shows ‘Stag Inn’. The 1930 licencing records show a Samuel Pope, licenced victualler living there. The 1939 Register shows a John Henry Miles aged 68, a licenced victualler living there with a 99-year-old housekeeper.

Wainscott is now bypassed to the east by the 'Wainscott Eastern Bypass' and to the north by 'Wainscott Northern Bypass'. These roads, both named the A289, lead traffic from the A2 to the Medway Tunnel. These two roads meet at the 'Four Elms Roundabout', where the A228 climbs 'Four Elms Hill' and onto the Hoo Peninsula, where the A228 becomes the Ratcliffe Highway, that then passes the Deangate Ridge Golf Club on the left and takes the second roundabout exit on the Main Road into Hoo itself. At the top of Four Elms Hill is the village of Chattenden, that has much MOD land, especially in and around Chattenden Army Barracks. The village has had many homes erected within it on ex-farm/MOD land. These homes were developed by Crest Nicholson and the estate is known locally and officially as 'Liberty Park'. The development includes many different types of accommodation including homes and elderly accommodation for the local residents later years.

Wainscott is situated within the parish of Frindsbury Extra.