The Bell and Gavel was built in 1958 by West Country Breweries. Inside the pub, the bar advertised both Cotswold Beers and Cheltenham Ales (Stroud and Cheltenham).
The Citizen: Monday, November 16th 1981: City’s New ‘Fun Pub’ – When was the last time you thought of having a swinging night out at Gloucester Cattle Market? Well there is surprising news today for people who wouldn’t list the place highly on a trendy night-spot rating. Soon the traditionally fashionable thumbsticks and gaiters worn during the day will fade from the scene as dusk heralds the emergence of the swinging pace setters. At least that is the hop of Trophy Retail, who have done up the former Bell & Gavel pub and will be re-opening it on December 1st with the new name ‘Stockyards’. Trophy spokesman Dan Bramwell said Stockyards will ‘portray the fun image’. He explained, “This new concept has been assembled to cater for two very different markets. By day, Stockyards will be a conventional public house and by might it will light up to cater for the ‘swinging pace setters’.” So farmers who linger over a pint after sunset have been duly warned.
The incongruous setting of a pub for ‘swinging pace setters’ within a traditional cattle market was inevitably doomed to failure, and just over four years later the name was reverted back to the Bell & Gavel. In December 1985 Ron Davies, the director for Gloucester Market Auctioneers, pulled the first pint. He said: “We weren’t too happy when the pub suddenly became a disco. One old farmer from the Forest of Dean swore he would never go in again.” The new look Bell & Gavel featured a comfortable, traditional eating area, with a flagstone floor, old beams and farming tools to emphasise the traditional links with the cattle market. The new landlord and chef, Bob Benbow, said “I think the market people feel that their pub has returned to them.
In its later years the Bell & Gavel was owned by the Pubmaster chain. After closure it stood derelict for many years.
When it was eventually demolished a new pub was built on the site – the Priory Inn. However this has also now closed and the building is now in use as a fast-food restaurant.
Landlord:
1985 Robert Charles Benbow (1989 Bob Benbow)
