The Royal Oak is a 17th century village pub with whitewashed rubble walls and a two gabled stone tiled roof. Inside the pub there are bare Cotswold stone walls, exposed ceiling timbers and a polished flagstone floor. The Royal Oak has a traditional feel to it, yet it has survived as a pub against all the odds.
Citizen: 21st May 1981 – The Beer Will Flow Again – The centuries-old Royal Oak at North Woodchester is to open later this year, as a free house, after being closed for more than a year. The news of the selling of the one-time very popular pub was given to the annual meeting of Woodchester Parish Council which was told that the premises had been sold by a brewery company to a private individual. Work was already proceeding on internal improvements and alterations the council was told. During its long history the pub has been headquarters for a variety of village organisations – cricket, soccer, Royal British Legion and RAOB.
The Royal Oak closed in the early 1990’s and was converted into a trendy bistro bar. It then had a change of identity to the Woodchester Inn with the emphasis still firmly on food. Thankfully in July 1997 the premises reverted back to its true identity as the Royal Oak. Local resident Bernard Wakefield-Heath said: “It will be great to have a friendly village pub once again. It’s an aspect of village life which people have really missed in recent years.” The Royal Oak became a popular pub selling local real ales. It was therefore surprising that in March 2002 an application was submitted to Stroud District Council for change of use to residential.
In the Autumn of 2004 the owners sold the Royal Oak to Punch Taverns.
https://royaloakwoodchester.co.uk
Map reference: SO 839027
Licensing Details:
Owner in 1891: Charlotte Jenner (free from brewery tie)
Rateable value in 1891: £12.0s.0d.
Type of licence in 1891: Alehouse
Owner in 1903: Godsell & Sons, Salmon Springs Brewery, Stroud
Rateable value in 1903: £12.0s.0d.
Type of licence in 1903: Alehouse
Closing time in 1903: 10pm
Owner in 2005: Punch Taverns
Landlords at the Royal Oak include:
1885 Jeremiah Jenner
1891 Charlotte Jenner
1897, 1906 Lewis Clifford Higgins (Clifford L. Higgins in 1903)
1919,1939 William S. Old
1973 Mr I.A. McCredie Smith
1973 (19th Oct) – (2nd Dec) 1977 John and Sylvia Excell
1997 Patrick Le Mesurier and Tony Croome
2000,2002 Wendy Farrington and Debbie Bates
2004 Albert and Ali Skinner
2008 (Sept) Louis and Laura Roche
