Kings Arms, 140 Gloucester Road, Cheltenham

Eliza Smith is recorded in the licensing returns of 1891 as the owner of the Kings Arms in Gloucester Road which she operated free from brewery tie. The 1903 petty sessional divisional records indicate that the Kings Arms was owned by R.W. Miller & Co of the Stokes Croft Brewery, Bristol, yet photographs of that time show that the pub was tied to the Stroud Brewery Company.

The following information courtesy Martin Edwards.

Below is an interesting map segment showing three pubs on the Gloucester Road of 1855. Top right, The Calcutta Inn, it the middle The Kings Arms, bottom left the Royal Foresters Inn. The original King Arms pub sat much further back from road. The other pub The Royal Foresters Inn was at the entrance to a large brickworks that was on the Gloucester Road of 1855 that later became the site of the GWR engine sheds and sidings. Of further interest I believe the Royal Foresters started life as The Kings Head Inn but changed it’s name to avoid confusion with it’s neighbour The Kings Arms. (information courtesy Martin Edwards)

The King’s Arms, the King’s Head / the Royal Foresters, Gloucester Road, Cheltenham

Hi Geoff,

You have a listing for the still trading King’s Arms on Gloucester Road, Cheltenham, which has a really interesting map extract showing it set back quite a way from the Gloucester Road with a coach turning driveway in front. Now the pub is right on the street side, so it was either moved forward, or demolished and rebuilt at some point.

On that same map, a little further along Gloucester Road another pub called the Royal Foresters is marked. This was formerly called the King’s Head, but changed its name to avoid confusion. It was owned by John Williams, who owned the Coal Wharf and Derby & Stafford Arms in Alstone Lane. He also bought up the old brickworks and tile manufactory off Gloucester Road. I had assumed the pub would have been located on the corner of the junction of Gloucester Road and the current Brickfield Drive, but having gotten access to the 1855-7 Old Town Survey map with modern transparent overlays, I found that it was actually located closer to Malvern Road and the King’s Arms, where the current no. 160 of the new build estate is located. The site purchased by Williams was 6 acres, encompassing the brick and tile works. It later became where the GWR engine sheds were located when the Cheltenham Malvern Road railway station existed, with its curving island platform that was 860 ft on the upside and 702ft on the downside, reached by a footbridge, a little part of the line of which now forms part of the Honeybourne Cycle / Walking path.

I couldn’t find the Royal Forester’s Arms listed in the 1876 Royal Directory, so I assume it had closed by then. Thomas Stockum was the landlord in 1870, and he seems to have moved on to the Turk’s Head Mountpleasant, where he is listed in 1878 – 1891.

Additionally, when I got to see the 1844 Harper’s Directory, it did have the Birmingham & Gloucester Inn listed; however, the details were very sketchy. It did list it along Gloucester Road from Alstone Lawn though (the 7 acre grounds of which ran along to the Vineyards turning on the west side of Gloucester Road opposite Brickfield Drive. Originally this led to the estate’s vineyard (now to a trade estate). There were a couple of other things listed then the Birmingham & Gloucester Inn, so I think your idea that it was probably a precursor to the Midland Hotel / Midland / Steam & Whistle is most likely.

Alan Jones

Gloucestershire Echo, April 10^th 1931 – Suicide: On March 13th Mr. Frank Cecil Huntley was found dead in his bedroom at the Kings Arms in Gloucester Road, Cheltenham. Widow told witness how she had discovered her husband dead in bed with a gas pipe near his head, Verdict: Death from coal-gas, poisoning self inhaled, while of unsound mind.

Gloucestershire Echo, 9th June 1992 – Customers shut out as pub closes: Customers of a Cheltenham pub have been left wondering whether “time” has been called for good because the doors have remained bolted for more than a week. Rumours are rife about the closure of the Kings Arms in Gloucester Road which last opened on Saturday, May 30th. Publicans and drinkers in the area say they saw men carrying items out of the building and taking them away in vans. Customers were said to have been charged a £10 entrance fee to drink as much as they wanted when the pub was last open.

But landlady Miss P.M. Savory, a Whitbread tenant, refused to comment on the rumours but said this morning that the closure was temporary. “It is closed for all sorts of reasons including repair work,” she said. “The floor is unsafe. I am negotiating with Whitbread over who is going to pay for the work. I have not had confirmation to date about when it will re-open.”

Mrs Varian Brooks, landlady of the nearby New Penny pub said: “Some people came in here last week and said they had seen men taking some of the contents out of the building.”

There was no-one available at Whitbread to comment.

loucestershire Echo, 3rd April 1993 – Close shave for pub landlord: Landlord Kevin Bedwell will be first on the block at a charity head-shave at the Kings Arms pub on Glloucester Road, Cheltenham on 19th April. He will be folllowed by 20 more locals at the pub in an effort to raise money for the Stroud-based Meningitis Trust. But volunteers Christopher Ibbitson and Tony Cassidy already have shaved hair – so they will be shaving their chests for charity.

Mr Bedwell, who took over tenancy of the pub five weeks ago, is laying on karaoke for the event and prizes will be on offer for the best performances of the night. It is hoped over £500 will be raised.

Gloucestershire Echo, Saturday 18th October 2003 – Football. Kings Arms on a roll: (edit) Kings Arms are playing at a higher level than they anticipated this season. The last thing they expected when they finished two-thirds of the way down the table last season was to be promoted. They now find themselves among the cream of the Cheltenham and Gloucester (C&G) Cheltenham Sunday League premier division – but have refused to alter their genial approach to the game.

Centre-half Dan Gurney, who is still playing at the age of 47, said: “I’m captain, chairman and secretary because nobody else wants to do it. We’ve always had the same bunch of lads and our average age is about 40.” He added: “We got promoted last season for some unknown reason. We don’t know why, because we finished sixth out of nine in division one.”

Gloucestershire Echo, 17th December 2005 – Our pub is at the heart of the community: The Kings Arms in Gloucester Road, Cheltenham, could be only a few pints away from being named the region’s community pub of the year. It has secured a place in the top three pubs in the south west as part of the Punch Taverns Inns Community Pub of the Year award.

Landlady Ruth Cremin said: “It’s brilliant. It’s a recognition of all the hard work put in by the staff.” The pub is a community hotspot, organising trips to the seaside and as far afield as Las Vegas for its regular customers. To be shortlisted the pub was visited by three mystery judges who were so impressed by the community spirit they put the Kings Arms through to the regional finals. The winner will be picked in January and go forward to the national finals.

Mrs Cremlin added: “I’m delighted we’ve got this far”.