The Royal Union was built in 1854.
The Royal Union was another Cinderford pub that was once tied to the local Forest Brewery in Mitcheldean. In 1891 and 1903 the annual rateable value of the Wintle’s alehouse was £40.10s.0d. and closing time was at 11 pm. In 1923, when the Forest Brewery in Mitcheldean put their tied houses up for sale, the Royal Union Inn had a serving bar, public bar, three smoke rooms, large club room, kitchen, larder and scullery on the ground floor. Upstairs there were four bedrooms and a box room. To the rear of the pub was a W.C., tiled urinal, coal shed, pot house etc. There was also stabling and a coach house and a side entrance to the yard enclosed by a pair of folding gates.
An advertisement for the Royal Union Hotel in 1939, when William Jones was the landlord, described the pub as a ‘popular house and the best of company. Cosy private rooms for large or small tourist parties.’ Cheltenham Ales and Stouts were sold at the bar.
The Royal Union had closed by 1955 and was subsequently demolished.
In 2000 a bronze statue of a freeminer was erected in Cinderford’s ‘new-look’ triangle on the site of the Royal Union pub. Anthony Dufort was commissioned to sculpt a statue and freeminer Dave Harvey was used as a model for the art work. The sculpture depicts Dave working on his knees to extract coal from a narrow seam in the Northern United colliery in Cinderford which closed in 1965.
Landlords at the Royal Union Inn include:
1856 Joseph Symonds
1860’s William Whitaker
1879 John Clements
1885,1891, Mark Cole
1902,1903 Susan Cole (Mrs Susan Cole in 1902)
1919 Alice Cole (Mrs)
1927 William J. Jones
1939 William Noel Jones
