The Oddfellows Arms is listed as a free house in the 1891 and 1903 books of licensed premises in Gloucestershire. However, the Stroud Brewery Company later acquired the pub.
A Stroud Brewery Company etched glass window was a rare survivor, although it was not in the best of condition. In February 2005 I was told by the licensee that the window was rotten. He said: “The window has been abused in the last couple of years and it has many names and signs that have been scored all over it with a diamond cutter. I have enquired about getting the glass repaired and is beyond repair. The window also has bits of glass missing and it is a heath and safety issue, the glass is not safety glass. With today’s insurance claims for personal injury I cannot afford to wait for an accident to happen.”
The Oddfellows Arms was purchased by Hook Norton Brewery in Oxfordshire in the Autumn of 2007. Hook Norton managing director, James Clarke, said at the time. “The Oddfellows is a fantastic addition to our estate.” In December 2007 14 pensioners living in Cambray Court, opposite the Chester Street pub, were given a tour of Hook Norton Brewery.
Perhaps, surprisingly, the Hook Norton Brewery put the Oddfellows Arms on the market for disposal. The pub has since closed and is now residential.
Licensing Details:
Owner in 1891: Joseph Arnold (free from brewery tie)
Rateable Value in 1891: £14.5s.0d.
Type of license in 1891: Beerhouse
Owner in 1903: Mrs Phillips (free from brewery tie)
Rateable Value in 1903: £14.5s.0d.
Type of license in 1903: Beerhouse
Closing time in 1903: 11pm
Landlords at the Oddfellows Arms include:
1871 William Gealer (in the 1871 census this is mistakenly recorded as the Foresters Arms)
1882,1903 Joseph Arnold (in 1889 listed as beer retailer at 6 Chester Street)
1913 L. Saunders
1939 E.C. Bowles
1998 (March) Mike and Sandra Donohue
2004 (Nov) – Gary and Hannah Smith
2007,2008 Robert Cooke and Elizabeth Hauxwell
