The Cross Hands is in the rural parish of Swindon, just outside Cheltenham Borough. As a result, closing time was historically set at 10 pm, an hour earlier than town pubs. It is worth noting that the population of Swindon Village was just 243 in 1891.
Harriet Yeend was the owner of the Cross Hands in 1891 and twelve years later the ownership had been transferred to Walter Yeend. The Cross Hands was a licensed ale house with an annual rateable value of £36.0s.0d. in 1891 and 1903. Despite trading free from brewery tie, records show that the Cross Hands was a home-brewed ales pub. In 1856 T. Yeend is listed as a brewer and it is likely that the Yeend family continued brewing on the premises until at least 1906.
The pub was later acquired by the Cheltenham Original Brewery. The Cross Hands was demolished in 1960 in order that a new pub could be built on the site. It was a fine traditional twin gabled rendered building which should have never succumbed to the bulldozer. The replacement building, presumably commissioned by West Country Breweries, is of absolutely no architectural value whatsoever.
In 1974 Whitbread published a book, ‘Inn and Around’, celebrating their ‘250 favourite pubs. The modern Cross Hands is included in preference to some of their superb traditional inns. The book describes the Cross Hands, then a ‘Trophy Tavern’ thus: “Originally, the sign of crossed hands on an inn was a symbol of good fellowship, deriving from an early and popular sign – Cross in Hand. The sign at this particular inn, however, is different. It depicts a highwayman with crossed pistols – quite far removed from the sign of goodwill. The pub itself, though, retains the original spirit of welcome, starting with a magnificent chestnut tree on the lawn at the front. The Cross Hands has two bars – the Swedish and the African – and a restaurant called the Bavarian. In the African bar are various tribal masks which have been donated to the pub. The mood in the restaurant is one of cosy intimacy with units of four and two-seater tables, a comfortable aperitif bar and painted woodwork motifs. The building is of modern stonework, having been constructed 14 years ago. Before that, the building was said to have been an old coaching inn, which went under the same name. Perhaps in those days the crossed pistols bore more relevance.”
Swindon Village and the western fringes of Cheltenham have seen large scale development over the years. In 1986 concerns were expressed that the existing road junction at the Cross Hands was dangerous, prompting a councillor to remark that he had never seen a spot as dangerous as the junction. Councillor Richard Izett said: “When the Eagle Star and the new Sainsbury’s store open nearby the situation will become even worse. Traffic travels along at up to 70 mph,” he said. In the early stages of planning for the junction it was estimated that traffic lights would cost an estimated £50,000. A roundabout was ruled out.
Gloucestershire Echo, Monday 21st December 1987 – All beef on cooks tour: Two part-time chefs drove a hard bargain for charity when they motored 600 miles through England and Wales. Adam Diamond, 19, and Simon Delange, 24, who both work at the Cross Hands Beefeater on the Tewkesbury Road, stopped at 18 different Beefeaters in 18 hours and raised £500. “I’ve been driving a year, but I think I learnt more in that one night behind the wheel,” Adam tells me. “We both dressed up as chefs and Simon carried a big metal box chained to his arm to safeguard the money we collected.” They also took along a little black book so that the managers of each restaurant could add their house stamp – proof of their visit. “We collected £300 for Children in Need and the remainder went to Cheltenham AIDS research,” Adam says.
Gloucestershire Echo, 8th October 1993 – Store leaves children in the cold: A pub manager has criticised Sainsbury’s for leaving 55 people out in the cold after a bomb hoax at a nearby pub. The Cross Hands Beefeater and Travel Inn on Tewkesbury Road, Cheltenham, was the target of a bomb hoaxer on Wednesday evening. As a result, 55 residents and staff had to be evacuated to Sainsbury’s car park on the opposite side of the road while police sniffer dogs carried out a thorough search of the premises. But Sainsbury’s staff would not alllow the inn residents inside after a police request. So a bus from Cheltenham and District Bus Company which was driven to the scene became their shelter.
Pub manager, Mr Dave Rogers, said: “We got a call at 10pm telling us that a bomb was going to go off in 15 minutes. “We had to take it seriously just in case so all the staff and guests were evacuated to the car park and were left standing around in the cold. The police rang Sainsbury’s to ask if we could use their cafeteria to keep warm in, but they refused. We were disgusted bdecause there was guy with a wheelchair and children in the group with us.”
The Cheltenham and District Bus Company came to the rescue and sent a heated double decker bus to the car park so the evacuees could wait for the all-clear in warmth. A spokesman for Sainsbury’s said nightshift staff had not realised the full circumstances surrounding the request. Michelle Lewis, a press officer, said: “In hindsight, knowing all the facts, we should have been more helpful.”
Gloucestershire Echo, 12th February 1990 – Gunpoint ordeal of pub boss: An armed raider fled after grappling with the manager of a Cheltenham pub early today. The masked man was disturbed by manager Dave Rogers and fled empty handed after escaping from the Cross Hands Beefeater Steakhouse on Tewkesbury Road. Mr Rogers was checking the grounds of the pub when he heard the alarms and ran back to the entrance to his flat, above the premises. He met face to face with the armed raider, who was wearing a ski mask, but after a brief tussle the man broke free. Assistant manager Mr Craig Gillett said: “Mr Rogers was doing his normal rounds with his alsation dog Josie and went to the door when he heard the alarms. He met the intruder coming out. When he saw the dog the burglar screamed and jumped back. But he managed to escape and ran away with the dog chasing him.” The raid took place at about 12.20am after the pub and restaurant had closed.
Gloucestershire Echo, 25th March 1996 – Punch-up arrests: Five men were arrested after a punch-up in a Cheltenham pub. Police were called to the Cross Hands on Tewkesbury Road near Uckington at 8.10pm yesterday. The landlord had asked for help to eject about seven rowdy customers. Five men arrested on public order offences were still being questioned today.
A planning application was submitted to Cheltenham Borough Council in June 2008 for the construction of a two-storey extension at the northern end of the hotel. Pub chain Whitbread Group was seeking permission to put in 18 more bedrooms into the Premier Inn immediately behind the Cross Hands.
On 23rd April 2010 the Gloucestershire Echo featured an ‘Eating Out’ review of the Cross Hands Beefeater Grill. It noted that the ‘Cross Hands, a long-established favourite on the Tewkesbury Road, has reopened its doors after a refurbishment and with a new name – the Cross Hands Beefeater Grill. The restaurant and bar area have been given a makeover to create a cosy environment in a restful grey-green with soft lighting and warm furnishings. The new menu includes dishes such as baked Camembert, tandoori chicken and an indulgent chocolate layer cake.’ The General manager, Nigel Forrester, said: “The new look Cross Hands is warm, modern and stylish, and offers guests their own space to enjoy their meals.”
Landlords at the Cross Hands include:
1856 T. Yeend
1883 Harriet Yeend
1891,1906 Walter Yeend
1919 Mrs Janet E. Young
1927 Leo Augustus Green
1939 William Hy. Hole
1990,1994 Dave and Dee Rogers