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The Fall of the Westbury Arms PH. In many ways it was sad to see the Westbury Arms PH set ablaze by rioters on the evening of Monday 8th August 2011, in a wave of public disorder that had quickly spread across the country, in particular London. The public house located at 174 Ripple Road, Barking, had closed in 2001 and since which it had long been left lying idle. The Westbury shortly after closure was to be sold by auctioneers & chartered surveyors ‘Barnett Ross’, being valued at £398,000 in February 2003. This though never transpired, and prior to the arson attack it had been up for sale for many years, with a board sign outside which also noted a contact number. There had also been a number of applications during this time of closure to adapt it into flats. The London Borough of Barking & Dagenham had locally listed the structure, which made it more awkward to transform, probably being the reason why it wasn't in all that time converted or indeed demolished.
End of an era as the Westbury burns Westbury Arms after the blaze, 14/08/2011 [courtesy Barking & Dagenham Post] [Ian Vickers]
The actual fabric of the building began to rot during the time it had laid empty. In 2009 from a viewpoint in Ripple Road, you could observe its roofline, and see that it had already decayed to such an extant that numerous tiles were missing. The roof timbers and floors must have become wet, leading to internal damp to set in, and it would have been doubtful whether the structure would ever be able to be used again anyway, without a complete internal modernisation. The Westbury Arms had a good tradition. It was not that old in historical terms, being constructed in 1899, but it did replace a previous licensed house on the same site named the 'Hand-in-Bowl', which is noted on deeds in the Essex Record Office from 1736-99; they mention the alehouse and some of its licensees'. Its existence was actually probably older than this, as a token was issued in 1650 by 'D.G.' at the 'Hand and Bowle', Barking. In the late 1800's the ‘Hand-in-Bowl was owned by a farmer named Thomas Holland. The road currently known as King Edwards Road was at this time called Hollands Road, and prior to this Hand-in-Bowl Lane. This building is marked on old Ordnance Survey maps of that era. The Westbury Arms had taken its name from Westbury Manor House, which once belonged to the nearby Manor of Westbury, in the times of Barking Abbey, with this mansion house demolished in the 1880s. The pub appears to have its origins in 1889, when a man named Joseph Arrow sold another premises in East Street called the Rose beerhouse as surrender for the Westbury Arms. It was seriously renovated in 1970, when the original late Victorian interior, along with its fittings and fixtures, being complete with etched glass windows were removed. It was then transformed into the public house I remember as a youth, with two bars (one upstairs and one down) with weekend entertainment provided, like DJ’s spinning records, live bands and strippers. In retrospect, as far as I am concerned, the Westbury had died a decade ago, and its loss would have been far greater if it would have been still utilised by residents. It had already formed part of the town’s public house demise, along with the Britannia, Bull, Harrow, Red Lion, Captain Cook, Fishing Smack, Barge Aground, Volunteer and the Stag. It must have been a blot on the landscape to local officials, and I am sure they will not lament its passing. They will now be able to rubber stamp plans for another block of flats here.
The Westbury Arms PH in happier times in October 1988 (I Vickers]
Below is a list of readers’ tales from the later history of the Westbury, which were once published on my website barkingdagenhamlocalhistory.net…
It’s a shame when you pass the Westbury today and see the pub closed. I remember its heyday in the early 1970s when it had been refurbished. There were two bars: one upstairs and one below, which was very uncommon in this region even today! We used to stand and drink upstairs. A disco was provided at weekends, also some live acts, like bands or strippers. There were often fights and scuffles there but it was part of a regular Friday or Saturday night out. Often the Volunteer crew would come down or visa versa. The police were often in attendance. So don't let people kid you that things were all rosy then. We drank, as much or more than the youths today, the only difference was the girls didn't drink themselves stupid, and were often a sobering influence. Another factor then was it was mainly fists or glasses not knives like today.
There was a DJ called Mal McGuire and he would duck behind his equipment when it all kicked off. I recall the glasses bouncing off his turntables! Don't get me wrong the Westbury was usually ok particularly during the week. I used to meet with my mates regular there (Jack).
Jack mentioned The Westbury Arms "in its heyday". I go back a little further than Jack to a time before discos and DJs. Don't get me wrong, I wish I could join in a disco myself, but I remember The Westbury before it was hacked about by architects (?) in the late sixties who destroyed the wonderful Victorian architecture and interior, complete with etched glass windows.
I confess I was not a regular drinker there, in fact I was a bit too young to be a regular drinker in those days, but it really saddened me to see the old place destroyed in the name of modernism. In those days music was anathema to pub life.
Men, mainly men, would stand around in their cloth caps and sup a pint with friends. Old folks who could sit quietly and enjoy the ambiance and be accepted as part of the furniture; they were alone, but they were never lonely. Getting drunk in those days was something to be ashamed of. What an old fogey I must sound! But that is what this website is about: memories. And a great website it is too (Berkinshaw).
I too recall the Westbury in the late 'Sixties. A girlfriend of the time used to attend the Elim Chapel on Sunday evenings and I would wait for her in the Westbury. I remember the bars being separated by heavy maroon curtains (Mike).
I was regular in what we call the old Westbury best pub in Barking my mates and I used the public bar every night except Friday and Saturday although we were often in there sat lunchtime and sun lunch time we were late teens and early twenties but mixed with all ages from our own up to some older men and women in there late 70s.
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Westbury Arms, The Fall of the.....
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