James Leighton owned the Black Horse in 1891 which he leased to the Cheltenham Original Brewery. In 1903 the executors of James Leighton were the owners, but the Cheltenham brewery still held the lease. The Black Horse was licensed as an ale house, which is perhaps surprising considering its diminutive size within a row of terraced houses. The annual rateable value was set at £15.0s.0d. in 1891 and had increased slightly to £15.15s.0d. in 1903.
The terraced building is now a private house, numbered 24 Rosehill Street. In a 1926 reference the address is given as 5 Rosehill Street. The terraced house that once housed the Black Horse is easily identifiable today by the old iron inn sign bracket that is still in place. The Black Horse called ‘last orders’ for the very last time in 1972.
On the night of Thursday10th May 2012 a house in the same terrace was severely damaged in a gas explosion which caused structural damage to several adjoining properties. About 20 homes had to be evacuated. A rescue centre was set up in the Langton pub in London Road by Cheltenham Borough Council in the aftermath of the blast. Miraculously no one was injured in the explosion.
Landlords at the Black Horse include:
(Additional information courtesy Alan Jones.)