Dover Kent UK

History of Dover Garages

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Cambridge Road

• Monument Garage

• East Kent Road Car Company

• Central Garage

• Tapley's Motors - Tapleys were at a number of sites, click for a summary

• White Cliffs Hotel Garage?

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Activities at this site can be seen below

• Prior to being a garage, the business run from this site was by a well known photographer Lambert, Weston & Sons.  Lambert, Weston & Sons moved to their new premises at 15 Bench Street in October 1910.

• 1887-8 Pikes - Lambert Weston & Son, artists and photographers.

• 1907 Pikes - Lambert, Weston & Son, photographers.  Tele 6x4

The Monument Garage 1910 - 1922. 

• A Couch was the owner, but by 1917 adverts were showing Mrs A.E. Couch (the late Arthur Couch),

• Photo below courtesy of Rosemary Wells

 

• adverts thanks to Rosemary Wells.

• 4 November 1910 (DE)

• 1914 Pikes - Monument Garage, Arthur Couch.  Tele 275

• 07 September 1917 (DE) - Advert, showing the late Arthur Couch, the proprietor then being Mrs A.E. Couch

• 1920 Pikes - A Couch, Monument Garage

East Kent Road Car Co 1922 - 1924

• 1922 - 1924 - East Kent Road Car Company used the site as headquarters, in 1924 they moved to their new garage in St James Street.

• 7 April 1922 - East Kent Road Car Company - The Town Clerk reported that the Engineer of the East Kent Road Car Company wrote that the Company proposed to establish their headquarters at the garage in Dover at the Monument Garage, Cambridge Road, and that they proposed to erect a 500 gallon steel petrol tank there, with an automatic pump in the road, similar to those that had been established in all parts of the country.

The Town Clerk said that he took it that it would be referred to the Surveyor for report.  The only point was that these petrol pumps were giving a good deal of difficulty all over the country.  If the Council gave sanction to them being placed on the highway they might find themselves liable for obstruction, and if anyone injured themselves against them there might be a claim for damages.  The only way to get over that certain precautions in the way of lighting would have to be taken.

The Surveyor said that it might be arranged for the petrol pump to be inside the premises.

Councillor Beaufoy said that the pillar boxes were equally obstructive in the dark, and persons could blunder into them.

Councillor Cairns said that telegraph poles were not lighted.  He thought that the Company should be given facility, as it would bring employment into the town.

The Town Clerk said that the difficulty as to telegraph poles was got over by them being erected under statutory powers.

• 2 June 1922 (DE) - In Regards to the application of twenty-nine firms to be licenced to store petrol, the application of East Kent Road Car Company to store 500 gallons of petrol and 100 pounds of carbide at the Monument garage, all had been referred to the Surveyor for report.

Councillor Thomas asked of the licences were for petroleum or petrol?

The Town Clerk said they were for petroleum, but it was a question of the flash point Ordinary petroleum, he believed, was over the flash point, and did not require a licence.

The Surveyor reported that the whole of the premises has been found to be satisfactory for the storage of petrol and carbide, except that the arrangements for the storage of carbide at Curry's cycle shop and Niblett's cycle shop were not satisfactory, and they had been written to.

• 9 June 1922 (DE) - The Dover Garage of the East Kent Road Car Company, was opened this week in Cambridge Road.  The premises they have adapted to their use is the Monument Garage, which was formerly Messers Lambert and Western's photographic studio.  In addition to being able to garage a large number of cars, there is a petrol pump just inside the entrance, which can supply any of their cars needing spirit.

• 1923 Pikes - East Kent Road Car Co

• 1923 (BT) - East Kent Road Car Co, Motor Omnibus Proprietor. Dover 527

• 1924 - East Kent Road Car moved to their new garage in St James Street.

Central Garage

• Advert date unknown

• 1924 - Tapley's Central Garage is trading at Cambridge Road  (Tapley was previously at Northampton Street)

• 15 August 1924 (DE) - On Monday, about 3.45 pm, a collision occurred in Bench Street between a motor car, owned and driven by Mr William Harden, of Lancaster Rd, Wimbledon, and a taxi-cab belonging to Mr Arthur Tapley, of Monument Garage.  The motor car sustained damage to the rear wing and petrol tank.

• 28 Nov 1924 (DE) - Advert

• 12 December 1924 (DE) - A collision occurred at the Ringwould cross-roads on Tuesday between a motor car driven by Mr Tapley's Central Garage Dover and a cart and horses,  The car which was going towards Deal was just passing a stationary car when it came suddenly upon the horses and cart.  The horses shied violently and did considerable damage to the bonnet of the car.  The driver jumped clear and his fares fortunately escaped.

• 22 May 1925 (DE) - On the Surveyors recommendations the following projections were approved.......... a hanging sign and an illuminated sign for Mr Tapley, Central garage, Cambridge Rd.

• 1927 Pikes - The central garage. Tele 212

• 9 September 1927 (DE) - Advert

• 20 June 1930 (DE) - The DOVER MOTOR LORRY'S SEVEN DAYS TEST RUN - The test run of a British Chevrolet 30cwt lorry, organised by Mr A Tapley of the Central garage, which commenced at2.30 last Saturday, has so far been a great success, and at 8 am this morning it had covered 2450 miles.  The Mayor, Alderman H.E. Russell, was present when the test commenced at the Town Hall.  The circuit is round East Kent, and those who are driving the car in turn are Mr Miller, Mr Tapley, Mr Baldwin, Mr Pierce, Mr McGregor and Mr Couch.  The car has so far never had to stop, as far as its engine is concerned, and only once did the wheels stop, when the blazing car was met on the Sandwich Road on Tuesday, and the lorry had to turn back down a side road by Finglesham.  There have been several narrow escapes at level crossings and once when a tram-car got in the way, but drivers of coaches and lorries have been most helpful, and the police have done everything they could to help.  The car has passed four motor smashes on the roads during its run.  The engine running so well that there is no fear of it stopping, but the 32 cwt load, tested at the Dover Harbour weigh bridge, is a constant strain on the tyres and a puncture is the thing to be dreaded now.  The petrol is delivered to the car whilst it goes past the Central Garage doors at a snail pace, and the mechanics get on the car and squirt oil into the differential gear and the gear case and fill up the accumulators with distilled water.  B.P. Petrol and Wakefield oil is being used.  A great deal of interest is being evinced in the test that Mr Tapley is conducting, and which so far has been more successful than any previous ones.

• Photo below courtesy of Rosemary Wells

• 1931-2 Pikes - Central Garage, Cambridge Road and Priory Gate Road.

• 27 May 1932 (DE) -Central Garage becomes Tapley's Motors

• 7 October 1932

• 1934 - 38 - It must be noted that M Short or Leonard Short have been found linked to the monument garage, this is at the same time that Tapley/Central Garage were using the address.  It may be that they were just employees of Tapley, maybe the garage was split, or maybe Short was managing this garage for Tapley, it does show it as having a flat..... If you know the answer then please let me know.

• 23 Feb 1934 (DE) - Petrol Storage Licences -  A licence was issued to Mr M Short to store 150 gallons of petrol in two gallon tins in a yard adjoining the Monument Garage, Cambridge Road..........

• 19 October 1934 (DE) - AN UNSTAMPED PETROL PUMP - At the Police Court on Monday before Messers W.J Barnes, W.B Brett, W.L Law, T Francis and H.E Russell.  Leonard Short of Monument Garage, Cambridge Road, Dover, was summoned for having possession for purposes of trade, on 28th September, a portable petrol pump which was not stamped.

Defendant pleaded Guilty.

Patrick Clarke, Inspector of Weights and Measures, said that on 13th August he visited the defendants garage, and found the pump unstamped and the indicator requiring adjustment.  He left notice to have it seen to.  He called again on 17th and on 29th he received a letter from defendant's wife saying that the pump had been ready a week, but through a misunderstanding, the requisition had not been sent for him to stamp it.

In reply to the magistrates' Clerk, Mr Clarke said it was the first case under the new regulations in Dover.  Fined £1.

• 1935-6 Pikes -  there are two entries

  • Monument Flat and Garage, M Short

  • Tapleys Motors (lock up garages) Tele 212

• 28 May 1937 (DE) - Petrol....... as to portable containers messers..... Mr L Short of Cambridge Road and Continental Motors, Snargate Street conditions of the licence should provide for proper precautions as to the place of storage for containers, so that they could be locked-up at night, or when not being used, and the container should not be taken on the public highway........

• 1938-9 there are two entries

  • Monument Flat and Garage, M Short

  • Tapleys Motors Ltd.  Showroom and Garage.  Tele 212

• 29 July 1938 (DE) - Road Traffic Act - It's an offence to run a car or lorry with smooth tyres.  We can re-groove your tyres for 2/6 each - Tapleys Motors, Cambridge Rd, Waterloo Crescent Dover.  phone 212

• 29 July 1938 (DE) - Advert

 

• 1939-40 Pikes -

  • Short, M. Monument Garage

  • Tapleys Motors Ltd Cambridge Rd

    • Priory gate rd

    • Strond St

• 14 April 1939 (DE) - Advert showing Tapley's associated with Martin Walter

• 15 September 1939

• 27 September 1940 - according to the retrospective report the garage was shelled.

• 4 July 1941 - The last reference currently found for this period 

White Cliffs Hotel Garage

• Also in Cambridge Rd was the Garage for the White Cliffs Hotel

• 1950 kellys - White Cliffs Hotel garage

• 1962 kellys - White Cliffs Hotel garage

• 1970 White Cliffs Hotel garage

• One of JE Gilham's photos from 1992

Dover Transport Museum

• In 1992 Dover Transport Museum had to quit thier site at the water works at Connaught Rd and moved to Cambridge rd, see one of JE Gilham's photos from 1994 and of the same area in 1997

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