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History of Kent Close
Previously The Coal Yard, Wellington Road, St.Dennis

The team at St. Dennis.org.uk would like to thank Mr. Jonathan Kent for this exclusive contribution.

Please note that this account is the property of Mr. Jonathan Kent and must not be reproduced in any form without his consent.

Albert Kent began working as a Coal Merchant in St.Dennis in the early 20th. century.

He had stables for horse and cart in a yard at Wellington Road St.Dennis.

Albert ordered coal from a coal factor or colliery. The fuel was then sent to St.Dennis from the colliery by rail.

It arived at Whitegate Sidings, St.Dennis in an open top truck with Albert's name displayed on the side. Another Coal Merchant in the village at the time was Joe Thomas. Therefore they could find their relative trucks by looking for the name display.

Albert weighed the coal out with the scales, bagged it in cwt. sacks, loaded it onto his horse drawn cart and walked around the village selling the coal.

When Albert's sons Arthur and Stuart left school they worked for Albert ( they actually helped him after classes when they were school boys).

It was then decided to use lorries as well as the horse drawn cart. The last horse to pull the cart was called Polly.

Arthur and Stuart served in the forces during the second world war.

Albert died in 1946. Arthur bought the business from his mother Elsie and was joined by his brothers Stuart, Dennis and George in building up the business

The next step was Arthur buying the field behind the stables as a storage space for the various fuels (coal, anthracite, coke and wood). The stables were turned into garages to keep the delivery lorries in good repair.

Arthur expanded the business and managed it until his death in 1970.

The business then pased into the capable hands of his wife Joan, who carried on the management of the business with her son Jonathan and with Stuart's help and support until 1975.

In 1975 the business was sold to the Western Fuel Company (Smith and Treffry).

The yard was leased to the company for fifteen years.

When the leasehold expired in 1990, Joan, Jonathan and Arthur's sister Peggy and husband Alan decided to build dwellings in the coal yard.

Outline planning permission was received for nine dwellings to be built with road and services.

Six plots were built on by the family and three plots were sold for self build.

It was decided to call it Kent Close in memory of Arthur, his brothers and Albert

Jonathan Kent - December 2012

 

Kent's Coalyard

Kent's Coalyard
(Photograph by kind permission from Jonathan Kent)