See also Malt & Hops, and Robert Raikes House
The Tudor building is Grade II* listed – meaning it of particular historical or architectural interest. In the case of this building, it is both. Between 1758 and 1801 it was the home of Robert Raikes, who founded the first Sunday school in the country in nearby St Catherine Street. Robert Raikes was also the editor of the Gloucester Journal – the city’s first newspaper.
It is a magnificent 16th century timber-framed building with three tiered gables. The three gables have unusual carved barge boards that echo the design of yokes (the things that milk maids once used to carry buckets of milk). In the early years of the last century, two-thirds of the building was occupied by Sterry & Morris family grocers.
On the first floor level there is a reminder of the buildings previous use – three sugar loaves carved from wood.
Customers in the pub in July 1997 could not believe their luck when a mystery woman started handing out five pound notes. She told customers to enjoy themselves. It turned out later that it was a publicity stunt by the local radio station, Severn Sound. A total of £1,000 was handed out.
Yorkshire brewers Samuel Smith of Tadcaster bought the building in the 1990’s. A substantial amount of money was invested restoring the building to a high standard of workmanship.
Landlords
1986 Joe Lowder
1989 Peter and Christine Barnes
1994-1998 Helen Aspell
1998 Steve Carr
2004 Start Dix
2007 Cornelius Scully
