History and Locale

Although the name Earl Grey brings to mind a piping hot cup of bergamot-flavoured tea, the pub was actually named after Charles Grey, Prime Minister of Britain from 1830 to 1834, who abolished the slave trade throughout the British Empire.

The exact origin of the pub is a bit unclear. The Earl Grey may have started life in 1640 as the Cat and the Fiddle which closed 24 years later. In 1717 the White Lion opened briefly in approximately the same spot.

It wasn't until 1813, a century later, that a pub called the Marquis of Wellington opened for business. In 1837 the Marquis was acquired by Richard Major who changed the name to the Earl Grey. Over the course of the next century and a half the pub had several owners including the Isherwood, Foster & Stacey Brewery and Whitbread. The Shepherd Neame Brewery acquired the pub in 1972.

By the end of 1912 the Earl Grey was the Old High Street's only surviving pub. In 1943 it narrowly escaped destruction when adjoining buildings were destroyed by a bomb. The pub wasn't so lucky in November 1999 when a fire caused the Earl Grey to close for repairs. The current proprietors, Alan and Alison Rose, reopened the pub in August 2000 after extensive renovations.

LOCATION

The Earl Grey is located toward the top of the oldest street in Folkestone. The cobbled Old High Street winds down from the heart of the pedestrian precinct into the harbour area, making it a perfect walking route for visitors to Folkestone. And the Earl Grey is ideally situated for that post-hillclimb refreshment break.

As it is very narrow no parking is allowed on the High Street, but street parking can be found nearby.

Source: TALES FROM THE TAPROOM by M. Easdown and E. Rooney
©2000 Kent, UK Webmaster: jcmitch.coffeebeer@virgin.net Last modified 19th August 2000