Edward Jennings was the owner of the Calcutta Inn in 1891 and it was licensed as a beer house which was free from brewery tie. During the next twelve years the free house was bought by Godsell & Sons of the Salmon Springs Brewery in Stroud, and the Calcutta Inn was part of their tied estate in 1903. The annual rateable value was set at £20.5s.0d. in 1891 and 1903. Stroud Brewery became the owners of the Calcutta Inn when Godsell’s brewery and their pub estate was bought in 1928.
Cheltenham Examiner, Wednesday 23rd September 1840 – To Be Let: The Calcutta Inn, near the Cheltenham and Gloucester Railway Station, an excellent and well-established Beer-house, with General Shop Business. The house possesses two elegant fronts, the one situate in Gloucester Road and the other Bayshill Road (sic), with every convenience for business, and may be made into two seperate dwellings if required. The house and premises may be entered upon immediately if desired, or at any time until Christmas. Letters, pre-paid, addressed to Mr Goss, Calcutta Inn, Gloucester Road.
Cheltenham Mercury, Saturday 19th June 1886. Important sale of a Free Public House and shop and house adjoining. Harrison & Bayley have received instructions to submit to Public Auction, on Thursday 1st July 1886, commencing at 5 o’clock precisely and subject to conditions of sale, all that old-established and well-frequented Free Public House known as THE CALCUTTA INN.
Eligibly situated at the turning of the Gloucester Road into Bayshill, and comprising Bar, Bar Parlour, Kitchen, Scullery or Brewhouse, Five good-sized Bed Rooms, W.C., Dry Cellerage, with easy rolling way, Yard, with entrance at side through double doors, together with the shop and dwelling house adjoining, known as Calcutta House.
Gloucestershire Echo, Thursday 29th August 1912 – Supplying drink to a constable: Joseph J. Marsh, landlord of the Calcutta Inn, Gloucester Road, Cheltenham, was charged with harbouring a constable on his premises. Supt. Hopkins said the case was a very serious one, and if it was proved he would ask the Bench to inflict a severe penalty.
P.S. Robinson said that at 10.25 on the night of the 15th August, he entered the Calcutta Inn and went into the room at the back of the bar. Standing near a table with the landlord was Police Constable W.E. Merrett. Merrett was in full uniform, and was wearing his duty armlet. he had a pint cup three-parts full by his side. He asked Merrett if the beer longed to him, and what he was doing in the house. The reply was, “Yes, the beer is mine, I came in to have a drink.” Witness told him to get on with his beat. He then asked the landlord why he was harbouring a constable. Defendant said “He came in to have a drink.” Witness told him he had no right to do that, and defendant said he was very sorry.
Inspector Whyton said he saw the same officer leave the Calcutta Inn at 10.57 the same night. He asked defendant about it, and he told him that the constable had paid for a pint of beer and a packet of cigarettes. Witness did not then know that the constable had been there before. When he learnt that he spoke to the landlord, who then said the constable calle d the second time to see what the sergeant had said and had not had any drink.
Defendant expressed sorrow, and said he did not know that the constable was on duty at the time. The Chairman said the offence was a very serious one, but as defendant had nothing against him previously he would be de
alt with leniently. The penalty would be two pounds and nine shillings costs.
The Calcutta Inn closed in the early summer of 1999. It had been on the commercial property market since March with the freehold at £125,000, available with vacant possession. A planning application was submitted to Cheltenham Borough Council by Trinity Gate Properties of Tewkesbury to demolish the building and construct 13 flats in its place. The plans only included provision for two parking spaces. A local resident said: “We’ve got no parking as it is. We’ve got awful problems and now they suddenly say they want 13 flats.” The owner of the Kebab restaurant opposite the old pub commented: “It’s a bit of an eyesore. It looks dirty and homeless people use it. What would you prefer to look at, an eyesore or some nice flats. Whilst the Calcutta Inn was unoccupied the ‘West Country Ales – 1760 – Best in the West’ ceramic plaque on the front of the pub was either removed or stolen.
A proposal was made by local churchgoers to convert the Calcutta into a community centre. The Elim Christian Centre in St George’s Road expressed interest in running a Social Care Ministry. A spokesman said: “Our plan for the building would include a community coffee lounge with book and music exchange areas. Thee would be a designated area for mums to bring along their toddlers to play in safety while they chat with friends. It would be a centre where people would feel safe and happy to come.”
Demolition work started at the Calcutta in November 2003. Planning permission was granted on October 1st for the construction of 12 one-bedroom apartments and one two-bedroom penthouse on the site of the old pub. The developer then sold the site rather than develop it themselves.
As the building of the residential apartments was nearing completion it prompted a correspondent to write to the ‘Gloucestershire Echo’ on 28th February 2005 with this observation: “The [Calcutta Inn] was no oil-painting but what has replaced it, tacked onto the end of an otherwise quaint row of two-storey Victorian cottages, defies all laws of taste and logic. It is a ludicrously out-of-context edifice and no parking provision is made for the new apartments.”
Above image: Chris Amies
Landlords at the Calcutta Inn include:
1840 Mr Goss
1844 Hannah Cox
1878 Edward Butler
1883 Mrs J.B. Butler
1891 Thomas Wheeler
1903 Joseph Marsh
1912 Joseph J. Marsh
1939 John J. Marsh
1988,1999 Joe and Pat Cassidy
