The 16th century Barrel Inn was located on the western side of the High Street between Smiths Lane and Quay Street (roughly mid way between the Britannia Inn and the Anchor Hotel). The Barrel had a full licence but was tied to the Stratford on Avon Flowers Brewery for beer only. (1891 & 1903 licensing books).
The Barrel had fine plate glass windows extending almost to the full length from floor to ceiling. Ancill’s Court, a passageway, divided the pub in two. To the right of Ancill’s court was a front bar room and a back bar, and to the left a small front room with a bar and a tiny snug. Behind this was domestic accommodation. There was also a skittle alley at the rear.
The Barrel Inn closed in 1965. The licence of the Barrel Inn was transferred to the new Canterbury pub. A green and gold cask that used to hang over the doorway was removed upon closure and may still be in existence.
From ‘Tewkesbury Pubs’ by B.R. Linnell (1972, second edition 1996)
Where did it go, that elegant green and gold model cask that used to hang over the doorway of the Barrel Inn at 34 High Street? Taken away in 1965 when the house closed, years before the day, July 31st, 1971 when the whole area was bulldozed to make way for a supermarket. [NOTE – The building that once housed the Barrel Inn is now the Barber Shop next to Machine Court, in the middle of St Richard’s Hospice and the Cotswold Riding for the Disabled charity shop.] It seems odd in these days when almost anyone can get a licence to sell liquor, in shops, cafe’s and newsagents, that in the 1960’s the local bench was firmly against the granting of new licences, which is why the ‘Canterbury’ was not allowed to open until the Barrel closed. The original transfer was granted in 1945 but Socialist-imposed priorities put new pubs way down on the list.
Like many public houses on the street fronts access to the bars was made off a side passage, which, in this case, allowed the whole front to be filled with large etched glass windows. These windows were the additions to a 16th century timber frame. At the time of closure Tewkesbury was in the grip of the developer, someone who made a lot of money pulling down mediaeval pubs like the Barrel and putting brick and concrete office blocks and shops in their place.
The name ‘Barrel’ has not, so far, been noted before 1841 when a licence, a full one, was transferred to James Dee. It holds the dubious record of the most licensees in one year – four – in January, February, March and November 1907. From 1960 onwards times were hard and not even the revival of the skittle alley could make things viable. It was particularly hard hit when the market closed, being a ‘Market House’ within the specified distance of a market and therefore permitted extended hours.
Tewkesbury Register, Friday 15th May 1964 – Second time in 20 years: For the second time in nearly twenty years Tewkesbury magistrates agreed on Tuesday to the removal of the licence of the Barrel Inn, High Street, Tewkesbury to new premises to be erected elsewhere in the town. The last such an application was made and granted, it was recalled, was in 1945. Plans for building new premises were then held up by building restrictions. The delay continued for 19 years and during that period, said Mr J. Lane applying on behalf of Flowers Brewery Ltd., the man who was licensee at that time (Mr. Thomas Bradford) had ceased to be employed by the company and his whereabouts were not known. “In fact it is not even known if he is still alive,” said Mr Lane.
It had been decided that the simpliest procedure now that the licence was required for a new public house on the Ashchurch Road to serve 380 houses already built or planned for that locality, was to make a fresh application. Mr. Lane reminded Alderman F.H. Knight, presiding, that he had also presided in March 1945, when the original application was made. The renewed application was granted.
Licensing Details:
Owner in 1891: Flowers & Sons, Brewers, Stratford on Avon
Rateable value in 1891: £19.0s.0d.
Type of licence in 1891: Alehouse
Owner in 1903: Flowers & Sons, Brewers, Stratford on Avon
Rateable value in 1903: £28.0s.0d.
Type of licence in 1903: Alehouse
Closing time in 1903: 11pm
Landlords at the Barrel Inn include:
1841-1845 James Dee
1845 Louisa Jeffs (widow)
1859 Mr Wilcox
1863- 1868 Mary Ann Willcox
-1872 James Ball
-1872 Richard Wells
1891 Fanny Hoare
1891-1900 Catherine Crisp
1900 W. D. Applebly
1900-1901 Alexander Romanes
1901-1907 John Ball James
1907 (February) Francis Oliver
1907 (March) George Print
1907 (Nov)-1908 C.W. Stafford -Boucher
1908-1922 Thomas Halling
1922-1942 Thomas Wellon
1942 Frederick Bradford
1945 Thomas Bradford
1959-1963 Norman Jackson
1963-1965 Claire Ferriday
1965 John Chaffey