Garage destined to have short lease of life

The first of our featured pictures dates from the mid-1960s and shows a section of the south side of Dover Street, from near its junction with Upper Bridge Street. The filling station and garage of Bligh Bros Ltd dominates the scene. This complex was completed in the early sixties and replaced a row of late 18th-century cottages, as well as an earlier version of the garage.

The new garage was destined to have a very short life. It was demolished in the mid-1970s for an office development that never materialised. Until recently, the cleared site had become part of Holman’s Meadow car park.

Also visible in the old picture is the Nag’s Head public house.

This was the fourth version of the pub to be built here, and was opened in 1958.

However, by the time the second photo was taken, in 1997, the pub had become a wine bar and was working its way through an ever changing succession of names.

Furthest from the camera, in both shots, is a row of much older cottages, together with a later corner shop.

These had been threatened by demolition in the early 1960s but today, fortunately, represent rare survivors from that period of drastic losses to Canterbury’s old building stock.

Further changes are currently in progress in this area. The former Nag’s Head was recently pulled down, and my understanding is that the new development will revert to something like the old medieval building line along the Dover Street frontage.

Bligh Bros garage, Dover Street, in the 1960s

The same area in 1997