Duke of York, East End, London Road, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham

The Duke of York was constructed in 1848.

In 1883 it was certainly brewing its own beer as Henry Clarke is listed as a brewer.

Courtesy Michael Wilkes

**Wiltshire & Gloucestershire Standard, 31 October 1857 – Sudden Death at Charlton Kings:** An awful instance of the truth “in the midst of life we are in death,” occurred on Sunday morning last, at Charlton Kings.

It appears that a man named Robert Heweson, landlord of the Prince of Wales public house in that village, about half-past twelve in the morning, was sitting in the Duke of York, kept by Mrs. Taylor, a relative, and who, being ill, he was in the habit of paying occasional visits to, when he was observed to fall from his chair, and on being immediately raised, there was no appearance of life in him. Medical assistance was soon as possible procured, but life was pronounced to be quite extinct, the medical opinion being that the deceased had died from an apoplectic fit.

The deceased was about 28 years of age, and was an inoffensive and industrious man. He has left a wife and three small children to mourn their untimely bereavement, to whom he was an affectionate husband and father. At an inquest subsequently held on the body, a verdict was returned of “Died by the Visitation of God.”

Image: Gloucestershire Echo

A photograph from the Gloucestershire Echo archives. But what was the ocassion? Presumably an event linked to the Severn Sound Money Mountain charity raising initiative.

Gloucestershire Echo, 12th May 1999 – Pub’s music gets marching orders (by Simon Freeman – edit): The Duke of York is locked in a grand old row with neighbours who have got the blues over its live music nights. The Charlton Kings inn has now had to call a halt on its concerts because of a council ban on the anti-social noise.

People living near the hostelry in London Road had complained they were unable to sleep because of the booming sound of bass and drums comig from the weekly performances. The pub has been a popular venue for folk and blues acts for many years, a tradition which landlord Ian Coburn continued when he took over in March last year. But that has had to stop now Cheltenham Borough Council has imposed a noise abatement order on the pub. And unless he can find the money for sound-proofing, the show will not go on.

Mr Coburn said: “We were served with a noise abatement notice due to complaints from neighbours. If there are any more complaints I’ve been told I could be taken to court, where the maximum fine is £20,000. It’s a shame because music is a big part of the pub’s reputation. It’s going to cause quite a problem.”

Mr Coburn is in talks with brewers Whitbread, which owns the pub, about sound-proofing. “We’re trying to sort something out,” said Mr Coburn. “It’s going to cost a lot of money but it will be less than £20,000.” The Duke of York has hed jazz nights on alterrnate Tuesdays since 1991 and blues nights every Friday. Mr Coburn said: “We’ve been one of the few places in Cheltenham where you can enjoy live blues and jazz.”

Ian Coburn at the Duke of York (image courtesy Goucestershire Echo. Picture Mikal Ludlow)

Cheltenham Borough Council. Town & Country Planning Legislation Publicity for Applications. June 2008: 08/00586/FUL – Duke of York, 315-317 London Road, Charlton Lings, Cheltenham – Conversion of existing public house to form three dwellings amd erection of seven new dwellings within the curtilage.