Brockweir was once the furthest place upstream on the River Wye where cargoes could be transferred from sea-going ships, up to 90 tonnes, to smaller barges travelling towards Hereford. It’s difficult to image such a bustling scene today in such a quiet backwater. Amazingly this small picturesque Wye Valley village is reputed to once have 16 beer and alehouses. Pubs included the Bristol, Severn Trow, Royal Arms and the New Inn.
The New Inn would have catered for the stevedores loading and unloading ships at the nearby quayside. The interior of the pub has large oak beams, which is thought to originally come from a ship built in Brockweir. The village once had a thriving shipbuilding, fitting-out and repair industry so there might be some validity in the story.
In 1891 the New Inn was a free house with an annual rateable value of £10.5s.0d. The owner was a Mrs Alice Dibben who might have passed the running of the pub to her daughter as in 1903 it is recorded that Ellen Dibben is the owner. The New Inn was designated ale house status and in 1903 the premises called ‘last orders’ at 10 pm.
The New Inn was later acquired by Francis Wintle’s Forest Brewery and through the process of amalgamations and the closure of the Mitcheldean Brewery it eventually became a Whitbread pub. The legacy of its days as a West Country Breweries house is evident by the ‘Best in the West’ ceramic plaque which is still inlaid into the wall. In 1981 the New Inn had a change of ownership and the pub was renamed the Brockweir Country Inn.
The Citizen, Friday March 1st 1991 – Bomb Threat: A Surrey man threatened to firebomb a Brockweir pub after an argument with the landlord, Forest of Dean magistrates heard. The man, aged 19, from Reigate, Surrey, pleaded guilty to making a hoax bomb call, making threats to kill and threats to damage property. the case was adjourned until March 26th.
Forest of Dean and Ross-on-Wye Pubs. A critical guide by Jon Hurley (booklet, 1991): Any pub offering Boddington and Hook Norton and good wholesome home made grub is worth a visit. The Brock is popular with ramblers, being near the Offa’s Dyke long distance path, and locals alike. The tiled floor was a trifle cold but there was a wood burning stove and a selection of freshly prepared dishes chalked on the board. Prints adorned the walls and with its old seats and settles it is an atmospheric little inn. The day we called the dish of the day was Fish Pie which we found tasty but the El Dorado version was “out of stock” or we might have been tempted. Again a small public bar was crowded by a pool table. Surely the income from this rather ugly piece of modern bar furniture is not so great that its presence should spoil the appearance and comfort of any bar. A friendly landlady made us most welcome and we will come again.
In June 2016 the Brockweir Inn was for sale with no onward chain with an asking price of £349,950. This prompted the Parish Council to register the pub as a community asset. The parish clerk said: “The pub is currently for sale and we feel the need to protect it by nominating it as a community value asset (ACV) so that it will continue to be a public house and serve the community. It provides a focal point for the parish for various activities such as music evenings and a book club.”
The Campaign for Real Ale ‘What Pub’ website gave this account of the Brockweir Inn: ‘Blessed with two cosy bars of differing character, both a symphony of stone, this quirky and much-loved hostelry generates a convivial, warm and calming atmosphere. There is a small dining area to the rear, while upstairs there is a popular community games room (with book swap scheme) available for meetings and functions. Outside is a lovely walled garden, a beautiful sun-trap for those wanting to relax away from hectic modernity. An undervalued and veritable gem of the Wye Valley.’
The Brockweir Country Inn voluntarily closed on March 17th 2019 following an enforcement notice issued by the Environment Agency and Forest of Dean District Council. A notice dated 8th April 2019 was displayed in a window which explained that the owners had relocated to France and that ‘the property has now been sold and will remain closed whilst extensive and essential repairs are made. This fine historic inn dating back to 1700 has faithfully served our community and visitors for 300 years but it is in desperate need of a considered, careful and extremely sympathetic restoration to help guarantee its long-term future at the heart of the community. The new owners are working with Forest of Dean District Council and were made fully aware of the conditions prior to purchase and are now working with the Environment Agency and the Forest of Dean District Council to ensure compliance.’
The renovation work undertaken at the pub has been carried out to a very high standard. Sadly, the West Country Ales ceramic plaque was cracked and in a poor condition and could not be saved.
The restoration has adhered to all the necessary regulations stipulated in working on a listed building and it has been both time consuming and expensive. At the time of writing in February 2022 there are no immediate plans to relicense the property. The owner is assessing the options but the Brockweir Inn may be only sleeping and there is a possibility that it could reopen again sometime in the future.
The Forest of Dean and Wye Review, 8th March 2024 – Pub sale on hold: A temporary block has been placed on the sale of a Wye Valley pub to allow the local community time to put in a bid. The Brockweir Country Inn closed in 2019 and was bought by the current owners who have undertaken a significant amount of structural work. The pub has been placed on the market with Hereford-based estate agent Sidney Phillip.
A six-week moratorium has been placed on the sale as the pub is “an asset of community value” (ACV). The pub was nominated as an ACV by Hewelsfield and Brockweir Parish Council and listed by the Forest of Dean District Council in May 2021. The owners notified the council – as required by the Localism Act 2011- last Wednesday (February 28th) – of their intention to sell the property. The council has issued a notice saying there is a six-week moratorium on the sale which will run until Tuesday, 9th April. If a community group indicates it wants to make a bid during those six weeks, a full six-month pause on the sale will take effect.
The parish council discussed the future of the pub at its meeting on Tuesday and has launched a survey to gauge public interest in the pub. The district council notice states: “During this period, requests to be considered as a potential bidder in relation to the property can be submitted to the Forest of Dean District Council. If Hewelsfield and Brockweir Parish Council, or any other community interest group make a request during the interim moratorium period, there will be a full moratorium lasting six months. This period is intended to allow time to develop proposals and raise capital to purchase the building. Alternatively, if no request is received, the land can be disposed of to any person and the full moratorium will not apply.”
The parish council was due to discuss the move at its meeting last night (Tuesday 7/3/24) and had invited local people to attend and ask questions. The agent describes the building as a “development project.”
The details on the Sidney Phillips website state: “The Brockweir Inn is an attractive period “cottage” style premises that dates back to the 14th century, and has recently been assessed for listing as either Grade II or Grade II* by the Secretary of State under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act.1990. The property, which is a development project, stands in a prime cesrntre position in the village which is on the Eastern bank of the River Wye. The inn stands on Offa’s Dyke Path and Wye Valley Walk which attracts a large number of walkers throughout the year.”
“The Brockweir was purchased in April 2019 by the vendor as a closed unit and there has already been a significant amount of structural work stripping the pub back to expose its original features. It has a wealth of period character features and warrants further significant sympathetic investment to recreate a popular local facility which is equally attractive as a destination inn.”
No guide price for the property is given but the agents are inviting “fully-funded purchases” to make an offer for the freehold.
Landlords at the New Inn include:
1876 Henry Dibden (also listed as a butcher)
1885, 1892 Mrs Alice Dibden
1902 George W. Mayo
1903,1906 Mrs Ellen Dibden
1919 William Wood
1927 Herbert E. Williams
1939 George Edgar Blunt
