River Dour Walks 1: upper river

Crabble Mill WALKS

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SELF-GUIDED Local History Walk No.1: Mill to Kearsney Abbey
Print out this leaflet and use it as a guide:
GRADE: circular walk, easy (mostly on pavements, no hills)
Distance: about 1 1/2 miles, 60-90 mins.

Map of Upper Dour walk

1. Derelict Mill in the 1950s
The former outbuildings have now been rebuilt into houses. Once they housed drying rooms (for get the moisture level in the grain right for milling) and storerooms.

The estate of white-boarded houses was built in what once were meadows owned by the Mill.

The Mill and pond are now in the care of the Crabble Corn Mill Trust - a local charity run by volunteers.

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2. Former River workhouse
Built after the 1791 "Gilbert Act", this mansion-style Georgian building and the adjoining stables and workshops housed the Overseer and about 150 paupers from River and nearby villages. The accommodation included a hospital for the elderly, sick and infirm; and dormitories for other paupers, the homeless and tramps passing through. They were given very basic food and lodging, and expected to do work in the workshops if they were able. About another 100-200 village paupers were given cash and food handouts, but continued to live at home.

It was replaced in 1836 by a much bigger and starker building on the then outskirts of Dover, which is now part of Buckland Hospital. River's Poor Law Guardians wanted to keep separate from the town. So many paupers lived in the slums of the town centre around St. Mary's church that they feared a heavier charge on the local ratepayers.

3. Bridge over River Dour
You see the small size of the stream which once powered 13 mills on its way from the source to Dover Harbour.

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Radford Evans-River Co-op founder
Radford Evans, founder and first secretary of River Co-operative Society
4. River Co-op
One of the earliest Co-ops in the south of England - this society was started in 1879 by workers from River paper mill led by Radford Evans (picture left), a foreman at the mill. They were fed up with the high prices and often poor quality goods supplied by local shopkeepers - a common complaint of working people in Victorian days. Each contributed 5p (one old shilling) into a fund. The society bought tea, coffee, cocoa and corned beef from a supplier in Faversham to sell to their members.

By 1880 they had 65 members, and started buying in bulk - flour, sugar and a pig. Regrettably, many local merchants - including the Mannerings who owned Crabble Corn Mill - refused to supply the new society.

By 1885 they a successful shop in Dover town centre. With £2,000 they bought a plot in Lower Road River, and built the store that you still see today. It included the Society' bakery and Assembly Rooms on the upper floor.

Co-op staff photo 1880's Co-op bread delivery carts
1. The present-day local Co-op store
2. Bread delivery vans from the Co-op's back yard went all over Dover.
3. Staff of the big new River Co-op shop and bakery posed in front when it first opened in the mid 1880's. - Back to top of page

This house was 1st Co-op Newsagents
The Newsagent's shop in Lower Road was where the very first trial Co-op shop opened over 120 years ago.

5. Newsagent's shop
The River Co-op Society opened their first shop here in 1881.

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6. Dublin Man O'War Pub
This palatial pub was built at the turn of the century, largely serving the paperworkers from the papermill across the road (now in ruins). It replaced a previous pub of the same name in River St.

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Looking down Minnis Lane: River paper mill and paperworkers' cottages

From the bridge: ruins of old paper mill
6. Minnis Lane -old paper mill
There was a paper mill on this site from the late 17th century. By 1821 it had one of the first paper-making machines, as well as making paper by hand. The waterwheel was used to drive "tilt hammers" to crush rags into pulp, the raw material for paper. This was boiled up to break down the fibres, and the watery mixture was spread over wire mesh to drain and make sheets of paper.

In the late 19th century they did a good trade in a special brown paper used to wrap ammunition for the army, and in blue bags used for selling loose sugar.

The mill closed down in 1918 at the end of the First World War, and its chimney was demolished in 1928.

You can still see the ruins of the old paper mill as you enter the grounds of Kearney Abbey park from Minnis Lane.

Top picture: old paper mill and millworkers cottages, Minnis Lane
Bottom: present-day ruins, with river Dour flowing through.

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Today: the billiards room is a cafe - a welcome stop.
7. Kearsney Abbey lake
This was never a real "Abbey" where monks lived...
It was built in 1820 by a Dover banker, John Minet-Fector. Fector financed many of the local mills and other industries.

All that remains of his mansion is the ornate billiards room - which is now preserved as a cafe.

The "Abbey" mansion as it used to be.
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Stream flows under old ice-house
8. Kearsney Abbey's ice house
This mound was used to store ice. In the 19th century, before fridges were invented, country houses used to buy supplies of ice brought by ship from icebergs or glaciers in Iceland. The ice was kept cool by the stream flowing through the base of the mound. Ice-cream was a favourite Victorian delicacy - then only affordable by the rich, who could afford an ice house, and servants to beat up fruit and cream to freeze. Back to top of page

Siphon from path
The siphon works the fountain in the lake.

9. Kearsney Abbey siphon
Water was siphoned from the river into this concrete mound, into a pipe which fed the fountain which sometimes still spouts up in the middle of the lake. There is no pump or motor - it all works by water pressure in the closed pipe system. Back to top of page

Russell Gardens

10. Russell Gardens
This is thought to be the site of an old mill-pond. The flour mill was by Kearsney Abbey mansion, and perhaps demolished when the mansion was built in 1820.

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Tram terminus

11. Minnis Lane
Here was the terminus of the tram route out from Dover. Dover's tram system opened in 1896 - one of the first in the South of England, and part of the town's ambitious plans to expand as the Harbour was improved.

The tram lines were extended out to River in 1905, in the hopes that this would prompt more residential development (which did not happen until much later). A tram ride to River was a favourite Sunday outing for Dover people. Buses replaced the trams in January 1937.

We hope you enjoy the walk!
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	1. Derelict Mill in the 1950s The former outbuildings have now been rebuilt into houses. Once they housed drying rooms (for get the moisture level in the grain right for milling) and storerooms. The estate of white-boarded houses was built in what once were meadows owned by the Mill. The Mill and pond are now in the care of the Crabble Corn Mill Trust - a local charity run by volunteers. Back to top of page
2. Former River workhouse Built after the 1791 "Gilbert Act", this mansion-style Georgian building and the adjoining stables and workshops housed the Overseer and about 150 paupers from River and nearby villages. The accommodation included a hospital for the elderly, sick and infirm; and dormitories for other paupers, the homeless and tramps passing through. They were given very basic food and lodging, and expected to do work in the workshops if they were able. About another 100-200 village paupers were given cash and food handouts, but continued to live at home. It was replaced in 1836 by a much bigger and starker building on the then outskirts of Dover, which is now part of Buckland Hospital. River's Poor Law Guardians wanted to keep separate from the town. So many paupers lived in the slums of the town centre around St. Mary's church that they feared a heavier charge on the local ratepayers. 3. Bridge over River Dour You see the small size of the stream which once powered 13 mills on its way from the source to Dover Harbour. Back to top of page
Radford Evans, founder and first secretary of River Co-operative Society	4. River Co-op One of the earliest Co-ops in the south of England - this society was started in 1879 by workers from River paper mill led by Radford Evans (picture left), a foreman at the mill. They were fed up with the high prices and often poor quality goods supplied by local shopkeepers - a common complaint of working people in Victorian days. Each contributed 5p (one old shilling) into a fund. The society bought tea, coffee, cocoa and corned beef from a supplier in Faversham to sell to their members. By 1880 they had 65 members, and started buying in bulk - flour, sugar and a pig. Regrettably, many local merchants - including the Mannerings who owned Crabble Corn Mill - refused to supply the new society. By 1885 they a successful shop in Dover town centre. With £2,000 they bought a plot in Lower Road River, and built the store that you still see today. It included the Society' bakery and Assembly Rooms on the upper floor.
1. The present-day local Co-op store 2. Bread delivery vans from the Co-op's back yard went all over Dover. 3. Staff of the big new River Co-op shop and bakery posed in front when it first opened in the mid 1880's. - Back to top of page
The Newsagent's shop in Lower Road was where the very first trial Co-op shop opened over 120 years ago.
5. Newsagent's shop The River Co-op Society opened their first shop here in 1881. Back to top of page
	6. Dublin Man O'War Pub This palatial pub was built at the turn of the century, largely serving the paperworkers from the papermill across the road (now in ruins). It replaced a previous pub of the same name in River St. Back to top of page
Looking down Minnis Lane: River paper mill and paperworkers' cottages From the bridge: ruins of old paper mill	6. Minnis Lane -old paper mill There was a paper mill on this site from the late 17th century. By 1821 it had one of the first paper-making machines, as well as making paper by hand. The waterwheel was used to drive "tilt hammers" to crush rags into pulp, the raw material for paper. This was boiled up to break down the fibres, and the watery mixture was spread over wire mesh to drain and make sheets of paper. In the late 19th century they did a good trade in a special brown paper used to wrap ammunition for the army, and in blue bags used for selling loose sugar. The mill closed down in 1918 at the end of the First World War, and its chimney was demolished in 1928. You can still see the ruins of the old paper mill as you enter the grounds of Kearney Abbey park from Minnis Lane. Top picture: old paper mill and millworkers cottages, Minnis Lane Bottom: present-day ruins, with river Dour flowing through. Back to top of page

Today: the billiards room is a cafe - a welcome stop.	7. Kearsney Abbey lake This was never a real "Abbey" where monks lived... It was built in 1820 by a Dover banker, John Minet-Fector. Fector financed many of the local mills and other industries. All that remains of his mansion is the ornate billiards room - which is now preserved as a cafe.
The "Abbey" mansion as it used to be.	Back to top of page
Stream flows under old ice-house	8. Kearsney Abbey's ice house This mound was used to store ice. In the 19th century, before fridges were invented, country houses used to buy supplies of ice brought by ship from icebergs or glaciers in Iceland. The ice was kept cool by the stream flowing through the base of the mound. Ice-cream was a favourite Victorian delicacy - then only affordable by the rich, who could afford an ice house, and servants to beat up fruit and cream to freeze. Back to top of page
The siphon works the fountain in the lake.	9. Kearsney Abbey siphon Water was siphoned from the river into this concrete mound, into a pipe which fed the fountain which sometimes still spouts up in the middle of the lake. There is no pump or motor - it all works by water pressure in the closed pipe system. Back to top of page
	10. Russell Gardens This is thought to be the site of an old mill-pond. The flour mill was by Kearsney Abbey mansion, and perhaps demolished when the mansion was built in 1820. Back to top of page
	11. Minnis Lane Here was the terminus of the tram route out from Dover. Dover's tram system opened in 1896 - one of the first in the South of England, and part of the town's ambitious plans to expand as the Harbour was improved. The tram lines were extended out to River in 1905, in the hopes that this would prompt more residential development (which did not happen until much later). A tram ride to River was a favourite Sunday outing for Dover people. Buses replaced the trams in January 1937.