Rowe’s Illustrated Cheltenham Guide of 1850 describes the Lamb Inn and Commercial Hotel:
“a house whose cheerful and central situation will afford every accommodation for families and commercial gentlemen. Mr. Hulbert, the presiding genius of the establishment, can conjure up ‘spirits from the vast deep’, of the most potent as well as of the mildest influence, and ‘wine, generous wine’ from his ‘shades below’, of the most approved vintages, made good by ‘good old age’.. The culinary department is managed by a skillful wizard, assisted by a numerous train of humbler ‘fire worshippers’. The sleeping department is under the spell of the descendants of old Morpheus, and ‘with all the appliances and means to boot’. ‘Sleep, gentle sleep’ may be here enjoyed, spite the racking pains of the Bacchantes’ lures”.
I can only conclude that Mr Rowe had enjoyed rather too many alcoholic drinks at the Lamb Hotel when he wrote his descriptive guide. Did a wizard really prepare the meals?
Numbered 115-116 High Street in the original numbering this prestigious hotel was situated on the central site of the current Marks & Spencer department store. Date of closure unknown. It was still trading in the mid 1950’s.
Jane Scott was the owner of the Lamb Hotel in 1891 which she ran free from brewery tie. The designated and prestigious ale house had a substantial annual rateable value of £212.10s.0d. in 1891, increasing by twenty-five pounds and ten shillings to £238.0s.0d in 1903. In that year Charles Drew was recorded as the owner with the Lamb Hotel still trading as a free house.
Landlords / Proprietors of the Lamb Hotel include:
1830 John Skane
1844 Richard Hulbert
1856 Timothy Worcester
1859 Charles Scott
1871,1878 Charles Ward (aged 44 in 1871 and married to Sarah Ward 42)
1883,1891 James Connor
1902 Charles Ward
1903 Alfred Guest Blofeld
1906 Thomas Bach
1919 Feas Drew
1926 James Clark
1927 John Ball
1939-c1955 George and Helen Lytheer
