Cliffe

Once known as ‘Coveshoo’, Cliffe was a meeting place for the Great Councils of Kent in Saxon times. The ridge top village of Cliffe was constantly in the news during 2003, when the villagers and other local people fought a vigorous campaign against the government’s proposed siting of a new airport at Cliffe. They were supported by the RSPB, who said that an airport here would mean an end to the wildlife reserves nearby.
An extract from from"Around the Kent Coast".

This village, archaeologists believe, is the 'Cloveshoo' of Saxon times - known then as a big town with several ancient councils. Its full name is Cliffe-at-Hoo. The 19th century brought many labourers to Cliffe, who worked on the Strood canal or the cement works. The Victorian Black Bull pub (centre) is now a renowned Thai restaurant. Plans to build an airport here were defeated by angry villagers in 2003.
An extract from from"Kent Revisited Photographic Memories".

Sometimes called Cliffe at Hoo, the area is known today for its Portland cement works and chalk quarries. On the left of this photograph stands The Six Bells public house, which was one of the properties of the Maidstone brewers Style & Winch Ltd. Two landlords of the pub were John Jenkins and John Topley. In the centre is Parker & Son, a grocer’s and general stores.
An extract from from"Around the Kent Coast".

On the right is the Cliffe post office, with a pillar box outside. The Black Bull pub (centre) was another property of the Maidstone brewers Style & Winch. This fully licensed house later featured exotic food from the Far East. Note the weatherboarded houses, so typical of Kent.
An extract from from"Around the Kent Coast".

The impressive facade of the Hotel Metropole, with the Ship Hotel next door, faced the end of the Jetty to greet the thousands of holidaymakers who travelled down on the paddle steamers. In the foreground is a ‘guess your weight’ machine, where you only paid if the proprietor guessed your weight correctly. He could do this by cleverly adjusting the weights to his advantage. Six houses to the left was the lodging house of Mrs Sophia Booth, where J M W Turner stayed between 1827 and 1851. From here he painted watercolours of golden sunsets over the sea to the west and the misty dawns to the east. Between 1939 and 1945 the Hotel Metropole and surrounding properties were demolished as part of the town’s Fort Road Improvement Scheme. The area as it was before demolition can be seen in the aerial photograph on pages 8-9. Three acres of rundown cafes, souvenir shops and a wooden arcade were cleared, and a new dual-carriageway swept down the hill offering a clear panoramic view of the sands and bay.
An extract from from"Margate Town and City Memories".