The George Hotel was originally a coaching house on the post road to South Wales. In 1822/23 the coaches to Gloucester and Hereford left from the George and in 1876 the Ledbury-Gloucester mail coach called at the George. In the same year (1876) the Inland Revenue office was located at the George Inn. In the 1885 Kelly’s directory it is described as ‘The George Commercial Hotel and Posting House.’
James Lodge was both the owner and occupier of the George Hotel in 1891 and 1903. The fully licensed alehouse had an annual rateable value of £40.0s.0d. in 1891 which had increased by £2 to £42.0s.0d. in 1903. The George Hotel was a free house, not tied to a brewery, and closed at 11 pm.
Today the brick exterior is still traditional in aspect. A white border across the pub reads ‘The George Hotel. Commercial & Posting House. Circa 1649.’ There is an archway, which once gained access to the stables.
The Dining Room at the George Hotel, Newent, opened Wednesday 24th November 1971.
During renovation work in 1969 a treasure trove of golden spade guineas were found beneath the hearth of the western fireplace in the lounge bar. There were 40 gold guineas and four half guineas. The find was declared treasure trove and the coins offered to the British Museum, then Gloucester Museum, both of which said thanks, but no thanks. Consequently the finders were told they could keep the coins and presumably sold them for a nice price.
Newent is famous for its annual Onion Fayre held every September. In 2005 torrential rain in the afternoon caused the 10th annual fayre to be cancelled. At one point there was about 3 feet of water in some parts of the town and people had to find shelter in nearby pubs and shops. Police were left with no choice but to cancel the event. The George Hotel was having an outside beer festival, which had to be abandoned. Luckily the pub itself was not affected. Landlord Rod Yeandle said, “The beer festival has not gone well but we were busy in the pub because we were one of the only dry places.”
The George Hotel was crowned Les Routiers Hotel of the Year 2008. A Les Routiers spokeswoman said, “The George Hotel is 17th Century coaching inn where you can relax and enjoy a drink in the comfortable bar with its cosy open fire and wonderfully cosy atmosphere. You can choose from the extensive bar menu, much of which is created using local produce.”
In December 2011 the George Hotel was up for sale and property agents Fleurets were marketing the building. A spokesman for Fleurets said, “The hotel represents a traditional coaching house and posting inn which dates back to the mid-17th Century. It provides a mid-terraced building, constructed on ground, first and second floors, and a vehicle and pedestrian access to the rear is through an archway in the front elevation. Internally there is a busy bar to the front of the premises, restaurant facilities to the rear, letting rooms, two flats and a cottage.” He added, “We expect this delightful town centre pub and hotel will generate a great deal of interest among potential buyers.”
Rock star Brian May, the Queen guitarist, visited Newent in September 2013 to give his support to anti-badger cull protesters. He met those concerned over the badger cull in the George Hotel over a glass of Guinness. There might have been a conflict of interests and opinions if Brian May had visited on Boxing Day 2016 when the Cotswold Vale Farmers Hunt met at the George Hotel in Newent town centre for the first time in 20 years.
The George Hotel website states: You can relax and enjoy a drink in our comfortable bar with its open fire and wonderfully cosy atmosphere or choose from the extensive bar menu much of which is created using local produce. High standards of accommodation are offered, and most rooms having en-suite facilities or private bathrooms, tea/coffee making facilities.
The former Coach house is now a well-appointed restaurant with a full A La Carte menu available every evening. The restaurant is also available for private functions weddings, meetings or social gatherings. We also have two other function rooms, the larger one with a full stage in it making it ideal for larger parties (up to 200 people) and gatherings such as weddings where you may require bands or other forms of entertainment.
Landlords at the George Hotel include:
? Edward Draper (Richards father)
? Richard Draper (born 1704, died 1762) will says ‘innholder at the sign of the George’.
1822,1830 John Ellis
1837 John Gough (George Commercial Inn and Posting House)
1856 H. West
1885, 1906 James Lodge
1910 Percy Lodge
1919 Mrs Mary Lodge
1927 Percy Charles Lodge
1971 John and Ann Kilvington
2007,2013 Rhodri Yeandle
