On the Western corner of St. James Street. 65 High Street in original numbering and now No.47.
Cheltenham Original Brewery were the owners of the Coopers Arms in 1891 and 1903 when the annual rateable value of the licensed ale house was set at £30.10s.0d. The original Coopers Arms was gutted by a fire on 26th March 1909. The brewery had to rebuild the Coopers Arms and the replacement pub was an architectural gem, resplendent with green glazed tiles with the raised lettering ‘Ales & Stouts’, ‘Wines & Spirits’ prominent in the design. The Edwardian interior would have also been quite splendid, the original fittings long since ripped out during pub refurbishments.
Under the ownership of West Country Breweries a ceramic plaque was inlaid into the brickwork on the centre of the pub – above the front door on the top floor.
In the late 1980’s the pub was simply known as Coopers.
After a major internal ‘refurbishment’ (I use the term loosely), the pub had another change of identity as Cactus Jacks. It is now trading as the Vine. Cactus Jacks was the name given to the ex Coopers Arms (Coopers) in the Strand in the late 1990’s. An advertisement in March 2000 claimed that it was a ‘real western drinking hole’ The menu included such delights as Buffalo Bill’s Loaded Potato Skins, Cactus Jack’s Chicken and Gringo’s Chargrilled Chicken Steak. Another slogan read: ‘Best in the West at Cactus Jacks’. This one bar café style re-invention of what once was a traditional town pub has since had another change of identity and is now known as the Vine.
Landlords at the Coopers Arms include:
1844 William Gunner [researched by Martin Edwards]
1859 William Sunner
1870 William Marsh
1878 William Henry Hall
1883 M.M. Freeman
1885 Peter Hand Wydell
1891 Sidney Tibbles
1902 Daniel Long
1903 Sarah Truman
1906 Alfred Baldwin
1911 William Howell
1919 Arthur J.R. Jenkins
1926,1927 Mrs Millicent Jenkins