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.

The fire damaged Coopers Arms

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.

Courtesy Michael Wilkes
The Vine

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

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