The Kings Head Inn is listed as being in Bream Woodside in the Morris Commercial Directory of 1876. It is now a private house and located on the junction of Beech Way and Brookhollands Road.
In 1891 and 1903 the Kings Head was owned and tied to Francis Wintle in Mitcheldean, the only pub in Bream where Forest Brewery ales were available. Not that the beer drinker in 1903 would mind too much, however, as the choice was impressive with Anglo-Bavarian Ales from Somerset, Arnold Perrett Wickwar Ales, Barnard Brothers ‘Feathers Hotel’ home-brew’d ales, Godsell’s of Stroud, Stroud Brewery Ales and Roger’s Bristol Ales all available in the village. Bream was a fine place for a pub crawl, but the straggling nature of the village necessitated a determined walk to sample all those beers.
In 1903 the annual rateable value was set at £12.0s.0d. and the Kings Head was classified as an alehouse, with a 10 pm closing time.
Wintles Forest Brewery was acquired by the Cheltenham Brewery in 1937. Through the evolution of West Country Breweries and latterly Whitbread, the last landlord of the Kings Head, Mr D. Price, was probably selling fizzy keg Tankard when the pub closed in February 1973… the days of foaming pints of Wintles’ fine Mitcheldean ales at the Kings Head a distant memory. The pub had an affectionate name of ‘Dapper’s’… Dapper Price perhaps?
Landlords at the Kings Head include
1885 Joseph Panting
1870, 1899 John Rolland Shingles
1901,1910 Henry Wintle.
1911,1912 J.J. James
1914,1939 John James
1937 Edith James
1973 Mr D. Price (last landlord)
