Public Houses

In 1863 Dr. Sells sold the site of the Robin Hood to William Pimm and John Engall. Here the public house was soon built as well as a row of cottages behind it known as Pimm1s Cottages. William Pimm leased the Robin Hood to the Friary Brewery in 1863 and they purchased the freehold in 1896. The first occupant of the Robin Hood was James Balchin.

Formerly the Forester Beerhouse then The Foresters Inn subsequently the Foresters Arms. In 1869 Dr.Sells sold a plot of land on the corner of Cline Road and Cooper Road to John and James Patrick where they built a beerhouse and shop known as The Forester. It is interesting in the light of subsequent stories about the origin of the name Pig and Tater, that Dr. Sell’s conveyance explicitly laid down that there were to be no piggeries on the site. In 1873 John Patrick sold the Forester to Frederick Webb of the Broadford Brewery, Shalford, and he probably enlarged it and rechristened it The Foresters Inn. The Broadford Brewery was sold to Cobham United Breweries in 1913 and this brewery was in turn acquired by Messrs. Watney Combe Reid and Company Ltd., in 1923. The innsign was changed in 1976 in response to the local tradition that the working class inhabitants of Charlotteville talked of nothing but the pigs and potatoes that they produced on their allotments.

More information on the Foresters here

In 1865, James Smith purchased the site of the Rats Castle from Dr. Sells and having built the public house and two cottages adjoining, sold them in 1869 to Joseph Williams of Farncombe. Williams let the Rats Castle to Messrs. Taunton of the Cannon Brewery, Guildford, which passed unnder the control of the Friary Brewery in 1874. The origin of the innsign remains a mystery although a number of possible explanations can be made. There was a building shown as the Rats Castle, opposite the present Sanford Arms in Epsom Road on a map of proposed Borough boundaries.

Built in 1860/61 by James Smith, a speculative builder, who leased the site for 99 years from Thomas Baker of Shalford and then sold the remainder of the lease upon completion of the house to W.F.Hodgson, the Kingston brewer in 1861. The inn sign is a representation of the ancient arms of the Sanford Family of Nynehead Court, Somerset, who were relatives of the Hodgsons. The first occupant of the Sanford Arms was George l; Stokes, and he was succeeded, in 1866, by J.R.Ames, retired Master of the Guildford Union Workhouse (now St Luke’s Hospital). Hodgson’s Kingston Brewery was acquired by Messrs. Courage in 1943, altohugh they continued to trade under their own name until 1967. The Sanford Arms originally had a Doric columned porch over the main entrance, but this was removed some years ago.