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Red Lion, Snargate

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Operator: Independent
Snargate, TN29 9UQ (View on Google Map)
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  • Historic Interior

Superb, unspoilt, multi-room 16th century smugglers' pub which has been in the same family for over 100 years and a continuous GBG entry for over 40 years. The pub passed to the next generation in April 2016 but is still universally known as Doris's.

Decorated with posters from the 1940s and the Women's Land Army, it has a nationally important historic pub interior. It is on the road which separates Walland Marsh from Romney Marsh between Brenzett and Appledore.

Although ancient hand pumps adorn the marble topped bar counter, these are not in use and all ales and cider are served on direct gravity dispense from casks behind the bar. Food is limited to basic bar snacks.

A beer festival is held in June over the nearest weekend to the Summer Solstice with a mini festival in October around Halloween. Cash and card payment accepted here.

Historic Interest

CAMRA National Inventory

Information for this venue is provided by the Ashford Folkestone & Romney Marsh Branch of CAMRA
Previous Names
Shepherd & Lamb
Local Authority
Folkestone and Hythe District
Last updated
02/07/2025
Last surveyed
22/07/2021
Leasehold owner
unknown
Freehold owner
Jemison Family
Pub ID
ASH/4042
Asset of Community Value

Three star - A pub interior of outstanding national historic importance

Listed status: II

A great rural classic, run by the Jemison family since 1911; changes since then have done nothing to diminish its timeless atmosphere.

 A century ago the pub consisted of just a small public bar (left) and a tap room (right). The former retains its old counter with, unusually, a white marble top on which is a pewter housing for a set of four hand-pumps dating back to 1870 (but unused as beer is now drawn from casks behind the bar). Three walls of this room have boarded panelling. Beyond the partition at the back is a second room, formerly living quarters, but part of the pub since the 1990s when the screen was moved further back. After the Second World War the tap room was converted into a shop which survived until 1974. In the early 1980s it was brought back into pub use with a new quarry-tiled floor and is now a room for games which includes toad in the hole and table skittles. You can’t miss the extensive World War II memorabilia: this pub was situated in a militarily sensitive area at that time. Good old-fashioned outside loos.

General information about historic pub interiors

A rare survivor - completely unspoilt with no modern trappings. Part 17th-, part 19th-century cottages with two public rooms. It has been in the hands of the Jemison family since 1911 and is beautifully run. Nineteenth-century facade to perhaps with eighteenth-century or earlier work behind. The left-hand part has the servery (with white marble top and pewter casing for the hand-pump stand) and another room behind. Lots of Second World War memorabilia and interesting pub games.

The pub originally consisted of the small public bar on the left and a tap room on the right. The dimly lit little-altered bare boarded bar on the left with '1' on the door retains its old wooden counter with a marble top and a set of four hand-pumps (on a pewter housing) dating from 1870 but last used 90 years ago: all the beer is now drawn from casks behind the bar. There are old bar shelves, tongue-and-grooved panelling and a brick fireplace which was replaced in 1936. The part-glazed partition at the rear which is hooked onto the beam was until the c.1984 some three feet closer to the front of the pub i.e. hanging from a different beam and abutting the counter. It has a door numbered '2' but is always open. Beyond the partition is a bare wood small room, formerly living quarters.

On the right is the tap room, which, after the Second World War, was converted into a shop that survived until 1974. In the early 1980s it was reopened with a new quarry-tiled floor and is now a room for games are played, including toad in the hole and table skittles. It has a door from the entrance lobby with a '3' on it and in a bare wood passage at the rear: there is another door with a sliding hatch.
 

General information about historic pub interiors
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Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Noon - 3:00pm & 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Wednesday
Noon - 3:00pm & 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Thursday
Noon - 3:00pm & 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Friday
Noon - 3:00pm & 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Saturday
Noon - 3:00pm & 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Sunday
Noon - 3:00pm & 6:00pm - 9:00pm

TasteMatch

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Current beers

This Pub serves 3 changing beers and 1 regular beer.

Regular and recently seen

Goacher's - Real Mild Ale TasteMatch Prediction

View beer
Goacher's - Real Mild Ale
Goacher's - Real Mild Ale Mild • 3.4% Spotted 7 times
Goacher's - Real Mild Ale
Goacher's - Real Mild Ale

This beer is served regularly and Spotted 7 times at Red Lion, Snargate.

ABV 3.4%
Dispense Gravity, straight from the cask
Style Mild
Colour
Vegan No
Gluten Free No

Goacher's - Fine Light Ale TasteMatch Prediction

View beer
Goacher's - Fine Light Ale
Goacher's - Fine Light Ale Session Bitter • 3.7% Spotted 6 times
Goacher's - Fine Light Ale
Goacher's - Fine Light Ale

Spotted 6 times recently. Last spotted 1 week ago at Red Lion, Snargate.

ABV 3.7%
Style Session Bitter
Colour
Vegan No
Gluten Free No

Goacher's - Gold Star Strong Ale TasteMatch Prediction

View beer
Goacher's - Gold Star Strong Ale
Goacher's - Gold Star Strong Ale Premium Blond Ale • 5.1% Spotted twice
Goacher's - Gold Star Strong Ale
Goacher's - Gold Star Strong Ale

Spotted twice recently. Last spotted 1 week ago at Red Lion, Snargate.

ABV 5.1%
Style Premium Blond Ale
Colour
Vegan No
Gluten Free No
Changing

Usually one or two others from local brewers

Changing beers typically include: Canterbury Ales (varies) , Goacher's (varies) , Rother Valley (varies)


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Facilities
Garden Garden
Parking Parking
Dog Friendly Dog Friendly
Games Games
Includes Toad in the Hole, Bagatelle, Table Skittles inside and Bat & Trap outside
Real Fire Real Fire
Features
Cask Ale Cask Ale
Real Cider Real Cider
Double Vision
Real Heritage Pub Real Heritage Pub
LocAle LocAle
Beer Festival Beer Festival
Held in June and October
Quiet Quiet
Transport
Close to bus routes (10m)
Stagecoach: 511B
Closest station (1700m)
Appledore (Kent)
Ordnance Survey Reference
Directions
On B2080, 1 mile Northwest of Brenzett

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