Railway Tavern, Wotton Road, Charfield

The Railway Tavern was built in the mid 1800’s and was situated next to the railway station on the Bristol to Gloucester (Midland Railway) line.

Image Courtesy Paul Best (Facebook)

Depicted on an 1977 Railway Tavern pub sign above is a representation of a Midland Railway engine. It appears to be a 4-4-0 tank engine of unknown design. Artistic licence or an obscure locomotive class I can’t identify? The number 1832 doesn’t help either as in the LMS numbering system with a prefix of 4, 41832 is a Johnson Midland designed 1F 0-6-0 tank engine bearing no resemblance to the locomotive on the pub sign. The train is on single-track instead of the double track running through Charfield. (pub sign courtesy of the Inn Sign Society, with thanks to Matthew Sproston – archivist)


Above: The pub had a replacement sign in 1985 with a similar locomotive, but does this have an 0-6-0 wheel arrangement? Could it be a depiction of a Midland Railway Johnston 0-6-0T, or perhaps a Class 3F ‘Jinty’. (Courtesy Inn Sign Society, thanks to archivist Matthew Sproston)

Above: On first glance this British designed locomotive with American style cow-catchers, bell, and a large central headlight looks completely out of place on the Gloucester to Bristol railway line, presumably steaming past the Railway Tavern at Charfield. The locomotive is a London Midland & Scottish designed (L.M.S.) 4-6-0 class 7P – the Royal Scot class of 71 locos that were occasionally seen hauling trains on the Midland main line in Gloucestershire, although ‘Jubilees’ and ‘Black Fives’ were far more common. In 1933 a member of the class was selected to represent Britain in the Centenary of Progress exhibiton in Chigaco and non-assuming loco No 6152 ‘The Kings Dragoon Guardsman’ swapped identity as the prestigious doyen of the class 6100 ‘Royal Scot’ and toured both the U.S.A. and Canada. Cow-catchers, bells and central headlights being obligatory for its North American tour. On returning to the UK ‘6100 Royal Scot’ (later 46100) became a celebrity locomotive and may have worked trains including the famous ‘Pines Express’ through Charfield, but certainly not adorned with the cow-catchers and big headlights. 46100 ‘Royal Scot’ is now preserved and has probably taken tours through Charfield on the Gloucester to Bristol line in recent years. The biggest mistake on the pub sign is not the locomotive but the fact that the railway is shown as being single tracked. The bridge is the location that on October 13th 1928 there was a horrific train crash involving three trains when at least fourteen people lost their lives. (pub sign courtesy of the Inn Sign Society, with thanks to Matthew Sproston – archivist)

On October 13th 1928 there was a horrific train crash involving three trains when at least fourteen people lost their lives. The pub was used as a temporary mortuary. The ‘Dursley Gazette’ reported on October 20th 1928 that ‘later on Saturday morning the dead bodies and charred remains were placed in an old coach-house at the Railway Tavern and throughout the weekend sorrowing relatives and friends paid visits to this tragic building to make what, alas, often proved to be unavailing search for clues to identity.’

The Railway Tavern was refurbished by Pubmaster in February 2000 and extended into the former flower shop which was under the same roof. 

Licensing Details:

Owner in 1891: Arnold Perrett & Co. Ltd., Wickwar Brewery

Rateable Value in 1891: £42.0s.0d.

Type of licence in 1891: Alehouse

Owner in 1903: Arnold Perrett & Co. Ltd., Wickwar Brewery

Rateable Value in 1903: £58.15s.0d.

Type of licence in 1903: Alehouse

Closing time in 1903: 10pm

Landlords at the Railway Tavern include:

1885 George Holloway   (1885  – listed as the Commercial Inn)

1891 Geo. Jno. Price Holloway

1903,1919 John Frederick Philpott

1927 John H. Wyatt

1939 Harry Edgar Wild

1999 Martin Redmond

2007 Shirley Tull (Partner of Martin Redmond)

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