Home > Essex > Barking > Fishing Smack Fishing Smack

Picture source: Andrew Taylor

The Fishing Smack was situated at Hewetts Wharf, Fisher Street (now 92 Abbey Road).

This pub dates back to 1855 or earlier. Closed in 2003 and demolished with surrounding buildings in 2008/9. Subsequently replaced by housing. A smack was a type of boat used by fishermen.

Colin Price

My father was the landlord of the smack from the early thirties to 1946 he was George applebee in 1946 his brother jim took over until retiring to be a hotelier on the isle of wight (the Burlington)in the late seventies i lived in the smack for only one year 1945 when my father moved to the white hart in collier row and then on to the coach &bell Romford where he died my mother took over for 5 years and then moved to the bell at rainham for 6 years after which we moved to the laurie arms Romford for2 years then finally in 1964 to the woodmans arms in thundersley until she retired in 1989 end of an era

Chris Applebee (June 2016)

Around the 1960's the publican was a Jim Applebee along with his wife Lil. My eldest Brother married their Daughter and they all moved to the IOW and ran a successful hotel for the next thirty odd years. I can remember visiting the pub on a Saturday night when Jim would be serving behind the bar and Lil would be sitting in her normal seat at the end of bar socialising with the customers, perhaps the most entertaining moment was listening to two pianist's playing two upright pianos back to back, those were the days, never seen anything like it since.

Len McToldridge (June 2016)

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Contacts

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Name	Dates	Comments
Chris Applebee	1940s/1950s	Parents were landlords.
Sheila Foot	1950	Was friends with daughter and family and used to stay many weekends would like to no if any of the family are still around.
Ray Dubock	1995-2000	I started at the pub, working for Mike Navin, as a Djay, eventually took over licence, and had many good times there, my aim, was to bring in people/customers, to a dead end road pub, tried many things, to attract custom, but some, were not so good.

Other Photos
Site of The Fishing Smack, 2022	Picture source: Andrew Taylor