A reference from 1936 locates it at 47 Bristol Road and earlier references of 1919 and 1927 records the Robin Hood Inn at 43 Bristol Road. The current address is 39 Bristol Road.
In 1940 the Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Works in Bristol Road were constructing tanks and armed vehicles for the war. There is a photograph of a newly constructed tank in front of the Robin Hood Hotel. Crowds of onlookers have come to see the tank.
A serious fire gutted an upstairs flat in February 2003 but the downstairs bar was not damaged. The Robin Hood re-opened on Friday 21st May 2004 after a refurbishment.
Gloucestershire CAMRA. Real Ale in Gloucestershire: An ex-Whitbread pub bought by Discovery Inns and restored to a two-bar pub with function room and games area. Separate “Sports Bar”. Live entertainment every day except Monday. Permanently installed karaoke. Big screen. Beers – Boddington Mild, Bitter (H); Courage Websters’ Green Label (H).
Morning Advertiser. September 2002: Gloucester City. Entertainment venue with turnover approximately £330,000. Large open plan lounge bar with stage and games-room off. Small catering kitchen. First floor owners flat and second floor letting rooms. Leasehold £95,000.
The Citizen. February 2nd, 2003: An upstairs flat at the Robin Hood pub on Bristol Road, Gloucester, was gutted by fire on Saturday morning. The blaze, which started at 10.30am, caused traffic chaos as three fire engines dealt with the incident. Although the flat was severely damaged, the downstairs pub was left unaffected and reopened to the public on Saturday afternoon. The cause of the fire is still unknown. But according to the pub’s manager, Steve O’Toole, by the time they noticed it, the flat was already well alight. He said: “It just seemed to go up. We called the fire brigade as soon as we noticed it, and then made sure everyone got out safely.”
The Citizen: April 1st, 2003 – Serial pub raider gets ‘last chance’: A crack addict who burgled clubs and pubs to steal cash from their fruit machines dodged jail by a narrow margin at Gloucester Crown Court. Sentencing the 26-year-old man to a two-year community rehabilitation order, Recorder Benjamin Browne QC warned him: “This is your final chance and you will go to prison for a very long time if you mess things up.”
The court had heard how the man broke into the Robin Hood pub in the city to pillage a gaming machine. Kirsty Real, prosecuting, said the pub landlord and his wife had just got into bed for the night when they heard the man breaking into their fruit machine before starting to make off with the cash. When the landlord came downstairs the man kicked him. “He made good escape but dropped the cash in the back yard,” said Miss Real. Identified on CCTV footage, He admitted the offence in an interview with police. He also admitted a further 15 other similar offences. Recorder Browne ordered Davis to pay £150 and told him: “Stay clear of drugs.”
The Citizen: March 17th, 2004 – Packed city pub burgled: Police are appealing for witnesses after the Robin Hood public house on Bristol Road, Gloucester, was burgled while packed with customers. A large number of people were drinking in the pub when two men entered a door off the bar area and were able to gain access to living quarters on an upper floor on Saturday night. They forced the door to the living area and then forced open a safe stealing cash. Police say there were a large number of customers in the pub and they want to speak to anyone who has information on the offenders or who saw anything suspicious.
The Citizen: July 22nd, 2008 – Licence under review after 103 police calls. By Lee Cain: A trouble hit Gloucester pub’s licence is under review after police were called there more than 10 times in less than three years. Officers have attended the Robin Hood pub, in Bristol Road, 103 times since November 25th, 2005, with incidents including anti-social behaviour, under-age drinking, drug use and assaults. Officers discovered weapons on the premises including a screwdriver and a pizza knife. Gloucester City Council’s licensing sub-committee will meet tomorrow to review the future of the pub and further action could be taken by magistrates.
Resident Mr McMahon wrote one of the six letters of complaint about the pub. It read: “I had to get up at 1am on Saturday to take a couple of headache tablets as the ‘boom boom’ coming from there penetrated my bedroom and consequently my brain. When the pub eventually shuts, and the human dregs are disgorged, they congregate outside and in our doorway, which is directly below my bedroom window, shouting, fighting and also urinating against our premises.”
Under a previous landlord, officers were called to the pub 24 times between November 25th, 2005 and October 2006. With the premises already under police warning, current licensee Alan Wibby took over on October 31st, 2006. Since then there has been a further 79 recorded incidents ranging from noise, drug offences and assaults. A drum-and-bass night run by Mr Wibby on a fortnightly basis has also continued despite promises it would be stopped. Events came to a head on April 26th when a large fight took place in the pub, which was so violent police dogs had to be used to calm things down.
But Mr Wibby says he is trying to turn things around. He said: “I’m disappointed with police and the council as common sense does not seem to be prevailing. In the last few months we have really cut down on the number of incidents here and I’ve been trying to work with the police but they don’t seem to want to help me. People have grudges against the pub, many of them we’ve thrown out so a lot of the claims are rubbish. I have taken on residents’ concerns over noise levels and plans are underway to sound-proof the pub.”
A police spokesman said: “These matters are being taken very seriously and we have already made the decision to apply for a review of the licence to take place with the licensing panel.” The licensing sub-committee meeting will be held at North Warehouse, The Docks, at 6.3pm.
The Citizen: Friday July 25th, 2008 – Pub has become place of violence, say police. By Vicky Price: The future of one of Gloucester’s most trouble-hit pubs is still unclear after the licensing sub-committee adjourned the review meeting. But, if the police have their way, the licence will be revoked. Gloucester City Council officers met on Wednesday night to discuss the Robin Hood pub in Bristol Road. Licensing officers from Gloucestershire police called for the licence review after police were called there more than 100 times in less than three years. At the meeting were Inspector Andrew Kilmurray, PC Mark Wood and PC Guy Hall. Insp Kilmurray said: “These premises have ceased to be the community pub on the corner and instead become a place for violence and criminality. It is our view that this licence should be withdrawn.
Solicitor for the police Paul Trott said there had been problems at the premises before current licensee Alan Wibby took control in 2006, however he had assured police he would run the police differently. Mr Trott said: “Instead the situation has become increasingly worse. It has not been possible for Mr Wibby to turn these premises around as he said in 2006.” He added there have been 83 incidents in 88 weeks at the pub. Officers had discovered weapons on the premises, including a screwdriver and a pizza knife. Mr Wibby had received written warnings from the police on a number of occasions to get things back in order at the pub, and they had tried to take every action they could to get him to turn the premises around. PC Hull said: “We have taken all the steps we have deemed possible to ensure these premises didn’t continue to be a problem but every step has failed that is why this is the first licence review we have had to take.”
Mr Wibby represented himself. He said he needed more time to consider the issues raised. Panel chairman, Councillor Declan Wilson announced the meeting would be adjourned until August 13 to allow Mr Wibby to consider his reply. Representatives from the Gloucester Charities Trust and the Environmental Health attended the meeting.
The Citizen: Tuesday July 29th, 2008 – Pub blaze is tackled: Firefighters were called out to a fire in Gloucester early yesterday. The alarm was raised at 1.02am. Three fire engines from Gloucester were called out to a pub in Bristol Road. One hose reel and two breathing apparatus were used to extinguish the flames. The crews left the scene at 3am.
The Citizen: Saturday August 16th, 2008 – Licence withdrawn from troubled pub. By Sarah Webb: A trouble-hit Gloucester pub has had its licence revoked. The Robin Hood public house in Bristol Road had its licence revoked at a review hearing on Wednesday. Gloucestershire police applied for it to be reviewed after 83 incidents in 88 weeks at the pub. But licence holder Alan Wibby says he plans to appeal against the decision. Mr Wibby told The Citizen the pub was shut following a fire but did not want to comment further.
Police Licensing Inspector, Andy Kilmurray said: “We have made a commitment in our local policing plan to reduce crime, disorder and antisocial behaviour linked to the night-time economy and regularly carry out increased street safe patrols during busy times. This decision by the Licensing Committee clearly supports us in our objective and our fight to make Gloucester City a safer place to live.”
On July 23rd, at the first hearing the police and others submitted evidence as did Mr Wibby. This evidence said officers had discovered weapons at the pub, including a screwdriver and pizza knife. Mr Wibby received written police warnings on a number of occasions telling him to get things back in order at the pub, and they had tried to take every action they could to get things right. Divisional Police Licensing Officer Guy Hall, said: “This is only the second licensing review this police division has applied for and the first revocation of a premises licence we have seen. Although I am very pleased with today’s result, I am disappointed things have had to go this far. We have a very good relationship with the Licensing Authority and the licensing trade and although at times official enforcement action is required to be taken against licensees, this is the first time we have failed to get a positive result without the need of a review hearing.”
The Licensing Committee decided the Premises Licence would be revoked and said they had come to their decision based on the evidence provided. The committee said there had been a ‘massive failure’ in the promotion of the prevention of crime and disorder and the prevention of public nuisance, which licensees are legally required to promote.
The licence holder now has 21 days to consider an appeal against the committee’s decision.
The Citizen: September 29th, 2008 – City pub loses its licence to trade. By Sarah Webb: A trouble hit Gloucester pub will no longer be able to trade. After years of problems at the Robin Hood pub in Bristol Road, licence holder Alan Wibby has decided not to appeal against the decision to take the licence away. Mr Wibby had his licence revoked at a hearing on August 13th, and at the time said he would appeal the decision. But last week the Forest and Gloucester Police Licensing Unit received official notification from Gloucestershire Courts that the licence holder of the Robin Hood has not registered an appeal. This now means that the Robin Hood can no longer trade as a public house. Police licensing officer Guy Hall said: “I was concerned that this review could damage our relationship with the licensing trade. However I have received full support from the Gloucester City Licensed Victuallers’ Association and our relationship remains as strong as ever.”
Officers had attended the Robin Hood pub 103 times since November 2005 with incidents including anti-social behaviour, underage drinking, drug use and assaults.Divisional licensing inspector Andy Kilmurray added: “Calling for a review was a difficult decision to make but the right one in the circumstances. We obviously need to work with the licensing trade of Gloucester but must not allow standards to fall below what is acceptable. It is our duty to ensure that the public is protected from alcohol related crime and disorder and antisocial behaviour.”
Mr Wibby took over on October 31st 2006. Since then there had been a further 79 recorded incidents ranging from noise, drug offences and assaults. Supt Jerry Foster Turner said: “We are constantly monitoring what goes in and around licensed premises in the city, and we receive excellent co-operation from responsible licensees who support the licensing objectives. Cases are dealt with on their individual merits and a range of interventions are possible. In this case, the decision to revoke the licence demonstrates that we were right to persue the review of the licence at the Robin Hood pub.”
The Citizen: Tuesday April 14th, 2009 – Former public house sold in 24-hour contracts race: The chequered history of the former Robin Hood public house in Gloucester’s Bristol Road is now firmly in the past, as the building has been sold and will be given a new lease of life. The Robin Hood recently closed due to fire damage and was offered for sale for alternative use, as the premises had been de-licensed. The property, a substantial three-storey period building, is located on a prominent corner plot fronting Bristol Road, which is the main thoroughfare into the city centre from the south.
Nicholas Calfe, director at Christie’s and Co’s Bristol Office, who handled the sale, said: “The sale of this property was an amazing turnaround, particularly considering the current economic climate and the pub market in general. The purchaser was involved in a contracts race and the sale took place within 24 hours. In fact, we had five interested parties bidding for the property, with a wide range of intentions. Two wanted to convert the building into flats, one intended to use it as a bike shop and two were restauranteurs – one Indian and the other, successful purchaser, intends to open it as a Chinese restaurant.”
The building has a large ground-floor trading area along with a three-bedroom owner’s accommodation located over the upper two floors. Outside there is access to a rear yard/terrace. The Robin Hood, with an asking price of £195,000, was sold for an undisclosed sum as a freehold interest on behalf of Enterprise Inns.
Landlords at the Robin Hood include:
1879 J. Smart
1885 Charles Harding
1893 E.N. Long
1902 John Melling
1906 Isaac Englishman (moved to the Fountain Inn, Slad Road, Stroud)
1906/7 E.K. King
1919,1927 George Long
1936,1939 Harold Cecil Long
1957 John Mann
1960-1963 Russell (‘Blondie’) and Doreen Head (moved to Musket Inn)
1973 Dennis Gardner
1974-1978 Joe and Barbara Trigg (moved to Hereford)
2003 Steve O’Toole (manager)
2005 Daniel and Dawn Flanagan
Victor Norris
2006,2008 Alan Wibby
