Cheltenham Original Brewery were the owners of the Sherborne Arms in 1891 and 1903. It was licensed as an ale house. The annual rateable value in 1891 was set at £14.5s.0d. increasing by one pound to £15.5s.0d. in 1903.
Number 33 Sherborne Street in 1919 and 1939. The Sherborne Arms closed in January 2004, then briefly reopened, only to call ‘last orders’ for the final time.
Cheltenham Chronicle, Saturday 3rd March 1906 – Cheltenham Publican’s Death: The divisional coroner (Mr J. Waghorne) held an inquest at the Sherborne Arms Inn, Cheltenham, Thursday afternoon, concerning the death of Wm. W. Phillips (38), landlord of the inn, whose death occurred almost suddenly Tuesday afternoon after a brief illness which had not been thought, until too late, of sufficient importance to render necessary the aid of a medical man.
Mrs. Emily Anna Rhoda Phillips, widow of the deceased, said that her late husband had apparently enjoyed good health, although about two years ago he had an attack of pleurisy. He complained of a cold on Saturday last, but was about as usual on Sunday and Monday, and there did not seem much the matter with him. On Tuesday morning he got up shortly before seven o’clock, and lit the kitchen fire, after which returned to the bedroom, and asked her to get up. saying he felt very bad, and thought he had best go to bed again. She accordingly got up, prepared him some hot milk and toast, rubbed his chest with turpentine, and applied a linseed poultice. He remained in bed until 3 p.m., when he came to the bedroom door and called her to bring him another poultice. She went to him, and he got into bed again. She at once saw a change in him, and, putting her arm round him, tried to hold him up. He fell back and passed away almost immediately. (At this point the witness fainted, and had to be removed from the room).
Dr. W. Powell said that was called to the Sherborne Arms at 3.15 p.m., and arrived before 3.30 o’clock. Not being able to satisfactorily account for the cause of death, had made a post-mortem examination. He found that all the internal organs were diseased, the heart being dilated, large, and very fatty. He was also suffering from double pleuro-pneumonia. and there were adhesions between the lungs and ribs. The wonder was how, before the pneumonia, he could possibly have kept about in such a diseased condition.
The jury returned a verdict of death from double pleuro-pneumonia, much sympathy being expressed for the widow.
Gloucestershire Echo, Tuesday 21st November 1911 – Correspondence – to the editor: Sir – several of my customers have informed me that there is a report going round that the four medals I wore on Sunday’s National Reserve Parade were not my own. Anyone wishing to have proof apply “R.E. Record Office, Chatham” or James D. Bate. Late 24258 1st Field Troop Royal Engineers, Sherborne Arms, Cheltenham.
Gloucester Citizen, Wednesday 18th September 1912 – Cheltenham Police Court: James Bate, licensee of the Sherborne Arms, Cheltenham, was remanded until Thursday, charged with being drunk and disorderly on the 17th September. He was further charged that he did, on the same date, assault and beat P.C. Carew while he was acting in the due execution of his duty.
Gloucestershire Echo, Friday 17th January 1941 – Letter to the Editor: Shelter Loss: Sir, could you allow me a space in your paper to express my disgust at the use of the air-raid shelter in Jersey Street at the side of our premises.
Neighbours and myself have done our utmost to keep it clean, but, regardless of this, if the sirens go we have to tidy it up. We have not minded that, but on Sunday there was a fire-watchers’ meeting, and I took along a oil stove to make it a little warmer for the general public, and I left it down there in case of raids.
On Thursday night I found that the stove had disappeared; and if the guilty person reads this I hope he will bring it back. We do not use the shelter ourselves, but there are others who take children into it, and as the Corporation does not supply any heating, it wants something to take off the damp. So it is a pity people cannot keep their hands off what does not belong to them.
All we want is fair play. We do not mind any trouble we go to as long as we get that.
G. Holder,
Sherborne Arms, Sherborne Street, Cheltenham.
Gloucestershire Echo, Saturday 2nd June 1945 – Victory Supper: An enjoyable evening was spent by the customers of the Sherborne Arms, Cheltenham when 100 people sat down to a victory supper as the guests of Mr and Mrs Bert Leighton, the licencees. Entertainment was provided by “Harry” and “Betty” at the piano. Among the guests present were two prisoners of war, Sgt. Smith and Pte. Houghton.
Gloucestershire Echo, 27th September 2010 – Did flooding cause sudden closure? Mystery surrounds the closure of one of Cheltenham’s most historic pubs, which has been trading since at least the 1840’s. Regular customers at the Sherborne Arms, in Fairview, were left scratching their heads when it shut unexpectedly. They say a sign went up in a window saying the closure had been forced by flooding in the cellar, but it has since been removed.
A local from Sherborne Street said: “It was trading one day and then closed the next. No one knows when it is due to open again, if at all.”
No one from the Sherborne Arms was available for comment yesterday.
Gloucestershire Echo, 7th March 2011 – Youngest landlady provides fresh start for historic pub (by Joe Lane – edit): Drinkers at a historic Cheltenham pub are raising their glasses to celebrate its reopening following a temporary closure. The Sherborne Arms, in Fairview, has been taken on by new tenant Kim Hicks just in time for race week. Aged just 21, she is thought to be the youngest landlady in town.
The pub closed in September when the previous tenant left. A sign went up in the window informing people the closure had been forced by flooding in the cellar, but it remained boarded-up for five months, fueling speculation that the closure might be permanent.
Kim told the Echo: “I’m really pleased to be taking the pub on. I think it’s got a lot of potential and we’re looking forward to welcoming back customers who have missed us being open. I am 21 but I can handle running the place – I’m not worried about that.”
A spokeswoman for Punch Taverns, which owns the Sherborne Arms. said the venue could change hands in the coming months if a buyer is found. She said: “We are in the process of exploring options around the future of the pub, which include marketing it for sale. Our temporary tenants will be kept fully up to date.”
A local Fairview resident said: “We are glad to see it open. I have been coming here for the last 20 years. It’s a good back street local pub, which has always done well. No one wants to have it sitting here boarded up.”
Gloucestershire Echo, 7th August 2012 – Developer wins its appeal over pub site homes (by Joe Lane edit): Developers are celebrating after winning an appeal decision to convert a former Cheltenham pub into homes. AR Developments successfully challenged the borough council over its refusal to permit an application to turn the old Sherborne Arms, in Fairview, into flats and houses.
The council has been ordered to pay costs for the appeal, which could total £10,000. Authority planning chiefs were “surprised” at the decision yesterday. But a spokesman for AR Developments said the result showed the council was wrong to refuse plans in the first place. He said that the firm had done its utmost to incorporate the pub, which dates back to the 1830’s, into plans for the site. Many residents were pleased when the pub shut its doors. It closed in March last year with owners Punch Taverns blaming a poor run of trade at the time.
Landlords at the Sherborne Arms include:
1830 Thomas Herbert
1835 John Cooke – ‘On Thursday April 2nd. Sale of the Sherborne Arms, Cheltenham, by Mr John Cooke – on the premises at 5 o’clock’
1856,1859 Henry Iles
1870,1878 Mrs Aust
1883 Daniel Evans
1884 (March) ‘Deaths: On 11th March, at the Sherborne Inn, Cheltenham, Daniel Evans, aged 51 years)’
1885 Mrs Martha Evans
1891 Frances Goode
1902,1906 William Phillips (William Walter Phillips in 1903)
1912 James Bate (see above)
1919,1927 Henry Gage (Henry George Gage in 1926)
1932 (13th January) ‘Deaths: On Jan 11th at Sherborne Arms, Cheltenham, Olive Emily – beloved wife of Henry George Gage.’
1939 George Holder
1944 (November) ‘Mr and Mrs G. Holder, late of the Sherborne Arms, Cheltenham, wish to express their appreciation and thanks to all customers for beautiful gift.’
1945 Bert Leighton
1979 Denzil Bathers
2000 Arthur Hillidge