57 Queens Hotel The Seven Stars


before that – one of relatively few Dartmouth pubs that appears never to have changed its name or location. Pubs were frequently used as venues for gatherings of local groups of various descriptions, and in 1830 the Seven Stars was hosting meetings of a Dartmothian friendly society which had been formed some fifty years earlier for “the relief of the sick and the burying of the dead”. The welfare state was yet to see the light of day. The 19th


century was an era


of change and development for Dartmouth. The opening of the Higher Ferry in 1831 greatly increased the amount of traffic – albeit horse drawn and on foot – crossing the river, and it wasn’t long before the opportunities for a licensed establishment at the ferry landing on the Dartmouth side were exploited. The Floating Bridge


(picture) was opened in what had previously been a row of cottages forming part of Sir Henry Seale’s extensive estate. In those days Dartmouth landlords seemed to switch pubs with remarkable rapidity. Robert Peek was the Floating Bridge’s first licensee, but he moved to the George and Dragon in 1851. Twenty years later the then landlord of the Floating Bridge, John Willing, did a pub swap with George Payne of the Seale Arms. Payne’s arrival at the Floating Bridge apparently did not improve the reputation of the pub, as the Dartmouth Chronicle reported in 1871 that “Payne of the Floating Bridge is said to keep a rough house”. Hardly a characteristic of the pub today. As well as the little beer houses


scattered all over the town. The 19th


century saw the growth of a different style of licensed The Floating Bridge


establishment, the commercial hotel. People, especially commercial travellers, were beginning to move around more. But roads were poor and transport was slow, so there was a growing demand for overnight accommodation, plus food and drink. The hoteliers and landlords of Dartmouth were not slow to respond, and several pubs expanded to include bedrooms and dining rooms. The final location of the Queen’s Hotel (picture) was on the Embankment, right next door to the Raleigh Hotel. But the Queen’s had its early origins at the Sun Inn in Smith Street where, in 1871 the publican, John Hambley Strike was selling “Strike’s celebrated ales – 1 shilling and 4 pence per gallon”. A few years later the Sun was renamed the Queen’s Hotel, presumably out of respect and loyalty to Queen Victoria and eventually moved to Lower Street, where it gradually expanded through to the Embankment. Its rather complicated history is not made easier by the fact


Text © David Stranack, Dartmouth History Research Group. Images kindly supplied by Dartmouth Museum


The Dartmouth History Research Group researches and records the history of Dartmouth and surrounding villages. If you’re interested in Dartmouth’s rich history, have a look at their many publications (available in the Community Bookshop, in the Museum, or directly from the DHRG), at their website http://www.dartmouth-history.org.uk or go along to one of their meetings – dates are on the home page. It costs nothing to join and new members are always welcome.


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