Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
The Fleur de Lis – an incalculable loss
The 1950s was a decade without equal in the destruction of medieval buildings in Canterbury, apart from the Blitz. There was almost a sense that because Canterbury had its cathedral, then lesser parts of our heritage could be sacrificed in the names of modernism and progress.
The medieval Guildhall was torn town, by stealth, between 1949 and 1955. The next treasure to be offered up for destruction was the Fleur de Lis Hotel in the High Street, opposite The Beaney. It can be seen in the first of the pictures, from 1955, at a time when its future was in serious doubt.
On the surface, what we see here is a not untypical Georgian building, with an 18th century facade made up largely of mathematical tiles. However, beneath that was an ancient timberframed structure, with elements dating back to the 14th century. In addition, the interior contained some superb wood panelling and an exquisite staircase, photographs of which are, fortunately, in my archive.
The rear elevation of the Fleur began to give away its true age, and other archive pictures I own show a jumble of ancient timbered elevations and roof profiles. There was also a lovely firstfloor oriel window, suspended on four carved brackets. The hotel was offered for sale in the mid-1950s and changed hands several times. Eventually, however, despite the pressure brought to bear from a nascent conservationist lobby, demolition was proposed.
One reason put forward to justify this was that a previous owner had plundered the building’s interior of much of the architectural treasures, mentioned above, for personal re-use.
The entire structure was pulled down in March 1958 and replaced by the rather utilitarian-looking shops seen in the second view, taken in 1997.
There is one crumb of comfort – the lovely oriel window, mentioned above, was saved and re-erected, at first-floor level in Whitehorse Lane, where it can be seen today.