Hi Geoff,
The row of buildings on the east side of Winchcomb Street/Prestbury Road from the Sudeley Arms (now Airs & Graces) to just past the junction with Clarence Road and Pittville Gates used to be called Winchcomb Place. On an old Ordinance Survey map from the late 19th century it is clearly marked and ends in a courtyard opposite Pittville Terrace (the row of houses on the south side of Clarence Road where Gustav Holst was born).
I found a pub called the Crown with a Winchcomb Place address, which studying the directories and maps, I realised must have been located in the courtyard at the southern end of Winchcomb Place at the time of its existence. Originally, Winchcomb Place must have carried on further south along Winchcomb Street because in early directories like the 1847 Hunt & Co. there were higher numbers than existed later on. But the 1847 Hunt & Co. was the earliest directory I got of the pub existing: listed under “Beer Retailers” was one named James Nash with a “Winchcomb Pl.” address (which I nearly missed because it was shortened to Pl. instead of Place!).
Then in the 1848 Edwards Directory’s list of “Beer Retailers” there was a listing for “C. Sheppard 10 Winchcomb Place” – also in the 1850 and 1851 Edwards Directories. But while he was absent from the 1852 Edwards Directory list of “Beer Retailers, another Nash appeared – “William Nash, 10 Winchcomb Place.” These were the only entries in Winchcomb Place in each year’s directory, and with the reappearance of a second Nash, I think it is safe to assume they were all at the one premise at no. 10.
After 1852, I only had access to Annuaires (which tended not to list lowly beer houses) until 1872. In the 1872 Royal Directory though – which gave an in-order listing of the properties by street – under Winchcomb Place, which it described as “(Near the Pittville Gates!) was a listing for “9 H. Slatter, publican.” I know this is one number different, but address numbers do change over time – especially in courtyards, or this might have been the next door property. But anyway H. Slatter also appeared at no. 9 in the 1876 Royal Directory.
In the 1880-1 Post Office Directory “W. Price, publican” is listed at no. 9 Winchcomb Place. But the big change comes in the 1883-4 Post Office Directory when the listing under Winchcomb Place reads, “9 Pittville Brewery Wm. Meek.”
By the time of the 1891-2 Post Office Directory though, under Winchcomb Place, there is no longer either a pub or brewery listed at no. 9, but a butcher’s shop, so I assume the Pittville Brewery closed sometime between 1884 and 1890.
I think it likely that the early (1840s – 1850s) Winchcomb Place “Beer Retailer” was at the Crown, which I found referenced as existing in Winchcomb Place, and that either this evolved into the Pittville Brewery with the address number changing from 10 to 9 over time, or after the Crown ceased trading the Pittville Brewery opened in the next property. I think the former is probably more likely, given the amount of numbering changes I have seen in the town in old directories, and the fact that we know Winchcomb Place was originally longer (with numbers like 29), but cut down at some point to end at the courtyard with numbers only up to 11 in 1883-4.
Still, that is a chain of at least 34 years where a beer house or brewery existed in Winchcomb Place – possibly longer if it existed before 1847 but was not recorded in Annuaires, which seems likely.
I haven’t come across a listing for the Crown or the Pittville Brewery anywhere else (e.g. the cheltonia.wordpress.com “Vanished Pubs” list), so let’s hope this rescues them from complete obscurity.
Here is the by listings year breakdown of landlords for the Crown and Pittville Brewery:
1847 James Nash “Beer Retailer” Winchcomb Pl. Crown? (Hunt & Co.)
1848, 1850 & 1851 C. Sheppard “Beer Retailer” 10 Winchcomb Pl. (Edwards)
1852 William Nash “Beer Retailer” 10 Wincomb Pl.” (Edwards)
1872 & 1876 H. Slatter, publican 9 Winchcomb Pl. (Royal)
1880-1 W. Price, publican 9 Winchcomb Pl. (Post Office)
1883-4 William Meek Pittville Brewery 9 Winchcomb Pl. (Post Office)
Hope this is of interest,
Alan Jones