The ownership of the Queens Head in both the 1891 and 1903 licensing returns is registered as the ‘representatives of Joseph Taylor’. The administration acting for the late Joseph Taylor also held the Foresters Arms as part of his estate. The Queens Head was licensed as a beer house and had an annual rateable value of £30.17s.6d. in 1891 / 1903, with a closing time set at 11 pm. The Queens Head is one of many Forest of Dean pubs, previously free of brewery tie, that were acquired by the opportunist and rapidly expanding Wickwar Brewery, although Arnold, Perrett & Co. Ltd., only secured the leasehold of this premises.
Gloucester Citizen, Monday 16th August 1886 – TO LET: Sitting-room and bedroom, furnished or unfurnished, with use of kitchen; suit aged couple or widow; terms moderate. – Address – Queen’s Head Lydney.
Gloucester Citizen, Wednesday 12th June 1895 – a landlady injured by a runaway horse: On Monday evening a horse belonging to Mr. A.W. Harrison, attached to a water cart, bolted, and made for the Queens Head public house, where, in the doorway it knocked Mrs Powell, the landlady, down on the floor of the passage, and itself fell upon her. Mrs Powell was found to be severly bruised about the shoulder and arms, but she is progessing favourably.
Gloucester Citizen, Thursday 18th October 1900 – WANTED AT ONCE: Strong general servant used to Public House, good character, good home to respectable girl – Mrs Biddle, Queens Head, Lydney.
Gloucester Citizen, Thursday 14th August 1902 – Arrested: William John Hulin, piano tuner, of Newport, who is a native of Blakeney, was arrested at the Queen’s Head Inn, Lydney, on Tuesday, on a charge of being in arrears, to the amount of £4.7s.6d. on a maintenance order made upon him to contribute 10s.6d. per week towards the support of his wife. Prisoner absconded from Newport a few weeks ago, and has since been working at Lydney, and the police receiving information that he was “wanted”, P.C. Hazell (Lydney) and Sergt. Jones (Blakeney) arrested him as stated.
Gloucester Citizen, Thursday 1st December 1949 – Thunderflash caused an explosion: A big bill follows the November 5th fun of William Brian Price, a soldier of Bulford Camp, Salisbury. At Lydney Magistrates’ Court yesterday the magistrates ordered him to pay £7/19/4d. to replace a damaged lavatory pan, and imposed a fine of £1 with 10/- costs for causing wilful damage.
Supt. A.F. Newman said Price and some friends were drinking at the Queens Head, Lydney, and after they had left the bar a terrific explosion was heard. It was found that the lavatory had been blown to pieces. Price admitted throwing an army thunderflash into the toilet, thinking his friends were in there. He did not realise that damage had been done.
Landlords at the Queens Head include:
1870 William Walker
1881,1891 Charles Mills Foxwell
1895 Mrs Powell
1902, 1903 Benjamin Biddle
1904 April – Licence was temporarily transferred from A.E. Hyett to W. Prosser of Blakeney.
1939 Thomas Davies
1980,1981 Basil & Peggy James (previously at the Royal Oak, Yorkley. They retired in July 1981 after 29 years as publicans)
