Pubs and Breweries in Gloucestershire Past and Present
Crown & Harp, 63 Cheltenham Road, Bishops Cleeve
The Crown and Harp, a good and much-missed locals’ pub, had a comfortable front lounge bar and a public bar to the rear.
McCarthy & Stone (Developments) Ltd bought the Crown & Harp from the Laurel Pub Company from an undisclosed sum in July 2003. The plans were to demolish the pub and replace it with 35 flats for the elderly.
Courtesy Michael Wilkes
The Crown & Harp was a popular community pub and was home to football teams, darts teams and pool teams.
The ‘incapable’ Crown & Harp ‘Morris’ dancers. Image: Gloucestershire EchoAn award for Team Hospitality at the Crown & Harp. Image: Gloucestershire Echo
A petition was started by the regulars in an attempt to stop its impending closure. Tewkesbury Borough Council refused planning permission initially because the proposed development was too high. McCarthy & Stone revised their plans and the council accepted the amendments. The Crown and Harp closed in July 2004 and was boarded up.
Courtesy Mike Williams
A local resident at the time told the ‘Gloucestershire Echo’: “We’ve resigned ourselves to what’s happened and now just have to accept it. We didn’t want the pub to close and we didn’t want a three-storey building so we’re disappointed. The developers always seem to get their way.”
The Crown & Harp was demolished in February 2005. It is with some irony that the population of Bishops Cleeve has grown exponentially since the closure of the Crown & Harp and there is little doubt that it could have been a vibrant community pub today.
Gloucester Journal, 3rd April 1852:
Thomas Turberfield, aged 21, and Joseph Turberfield, aged 22; were indicted for having at Bishop’s Cleeve, on the 20th of December, violently assaulted one George Windows, and stolen from his person four half-crowns, his property. Mr Lloyd conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Cooke defended the prisoner.
George Windows: I am a labourer, living in Bishop’s Cleeve, on the night of the 20th of December I went into the Crown and Harp; I changed a shilling there; I had four -crowns in my pocket; the prisoners and others came in ; I paid for a glass came after the prisoners came in; I paid for it with a sixpence; I pulled out the half-crowns in my hand; Thomas Turberfield asked me for some beer ; I told I had not any other change and should not change for him; we all left the house about eleven o’clock; I went on the Evesham Road; I turned on the by-road; The Turberfields said they would take me home; I went about half way down, and they throwed me down in the road; I could not get rid of them until James Lane came up and asked what they were doing; they said they would have the old b—s money; I felt in my pockets when I got up; I had nothing there.
Cross-examined: I had been to the King’s Head before I went to the Crown and Harp; I had about two pints of cider with a man I received my money of; I don’t remember tossing or money with Thomas Greening; I swear I was not tossing with anybody; it was not ten o’ clock when I got to the Crown and Harp; it was not many minutes odds of it either way; it might be nearly twelve when I went home; it was not after twelve; I walked between the prisoners ; each had hold of an arm; James put his stick between my legs to throw me down ; I never felt it against my legs but once; I was in no public house on the Sunday morning; I lodge at Deborah Webb’s; I can’t go home very often “comfortable” out of 8s a week; I might once a week or once a fortnight; I never lost no money but three times ; I have told Deborah Webb twice about my losing money; no charge was made upon that; I have never accused her of taking my money; I never asked P.C. Humphris to search and see what Webb had got of mine; I was in Northleach 14 days for looking after some wood.
James Lane: I am a labourer, living at Bishop’s Cleeve; on Saturday, the 20th of December, about half-past ten o’clock, I went with the two prisoners to the Crown and Harp; Windows was up by the fire drinking gin and water; he paid for it with a sixpence; he pulled out four half-crowns; he pulled it out two or three times ; all five left the house about twelve o’clock ; Joseph Turberfield said he would see Windows safe home; the other was close by; I followed about 15 yards; on the road I saw him fall; the two Turberfields had hold of him; I went up to them and found them all down together; I said, “What be you going to do with him, Joe?” he said, “I’ll have the old b— money!” I told him they had better leave that alone, for they’d go to Gloucester if they had it; Windows got up and said he had lost his money ; I asked them if they had got the money, for they would go to Gloucester if they had; we went into James’s; I wanted to search them, but Thomas said he would not be searched.
Cross-examined : They said they had not got the money; no other words were used at the time; I asked him what he was no going to do with the man; I don’t recollect his saying d—n his old blood; it might be a few minutes past twelve when we came out of the public-house; William James had a stick in his hand; I kept close to William James; during that time I was not nearer to the prisoner than fifteen or twenty yards; James did not put his stick between their legs; William James is quite well; I was at the Farmer’s Arms with Windows on the Sunday two or three hours; Windows was with me and James at the King’s Head on the Sunday for an hour or two; while we were at the King’s Head Turberfield came in, and George Windows gave him some drink; he told Turberfield if he did not bring his money back in the morning he should see further about it; Turberfield said he had not had it.
Selina James corroborated the evidence of James Lane, except as to the question which Lane said he put and the reply which he said he received, which she said she did not hear. At the public-house Windows went out and returned in about five minutes; the money was not seen afterwards.
Mr. Cripps addressed the jury for the defence. He said they had in this case a prosecutor who was an habitual drunkard, and appeared to have a peculiar fancy for being robbed. On this occasion, Mr. Cripps suggested that it was a drunken imagination, and that the prosecutor had not been robbed at all. The jury had heard his evidence, and he did not think they could place any dependence upon it.
His Lordship said this case presented some extraordinary circumstances; it was a charge of highway robbery committed in the presence of three witnesses; one of those, a material witness, was not called. He left it to the jury to say whether they were satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the prisoners were guilty.
The jury acquitted both prisoners, and his Lordship consented to their immediate discharge.
The above information and reserach courtesy Dr Martyn Beaufort
Licensing Details:
Owner in 1891: C.J. Martineau (free from brewery tie)
Rateable value in 1891: £15.5s.0d.
Type of licence in 1891: Alehouse
Owner in 1903: Cheltenham Original Brewery
Rateable value in 1903: £22.10s.0d.
Type of licence in 1903:
Closing time in 1903: 10pm
Landlords at the Crown & Harp include:
1856 W. Preater
1885,1891 Jesse Minett
1902 Mrs Sarah Ann Wilson
1903,1906 John James Aston
1919, 1927 Robert H. Bettridge
1939 Arthur James Buck
? W. L. (Les) Winters
2000 Christina Richardson (moved to the Apple Tree, Woodmancote in March 2001)
