The Seven Tuns was once tied to the Cirencester Brewery. When the Cirencester Brewery was acquired by Simonds the beers were supplied from Reading. Simonds was then taken over by Courage with beers sourced from the old Georges’ Brewery in Bristol.
Gloucestershire Echo, 16th December 1997 – Review: (edit) Behind the bar are licensee Brian Eacott amd London-born and chef Nick Gough, who came to the village five years ago. After a hectic career selling foodstuffs all over the world he found the quietness somewhat eerie. “I couldn’t sleep for a while. It was just too quiet,” he said. “We are pretty remote, very tucked away.” Now he finds it near perfect – peacocks and poultry wander the gardens, there’s stabling for horses, friendly locals and plenty of American tourists in search of the idyllic Cotswold experience.
The Seven Tuns has been a pub since 1601. Inside there are two tiny rooms, each with roaring log fires. The bar is basic and popular with walkers, dog-owners and those who want to use the games room which offers pool, fruit machine, darts and so on. Over the bar is a collection of foreign bank notes brought in by customers from around the world.
The cosy little lounge has a massive stone fireplace, beams, pictures and looks full with just a handful of people in it. A dining room has just been opened at the back of the pub but even so, if you want a seat, it’s best to book at weekends, especially for Sunday roast (£6.95)
Gloucestershire Echo, 30th December 1998 – Brian lived for his pub: Brian Eacott, landlord of the Seven Tuns in Chedworth, has died suddenly, forcing the pub to close for the first day in 20 years. Mr Eacott, 59, was found by manager Nick Gough when he arrived to open up on Christmas Day. He died in the early hours rom heart disease after spending Christmas Eve behind the bar.
Mr Gough said, “Brian always prided himself on the fact he was open 365 days a year. This is the first time in nearly 20 years that the pub had been closed. Brian was always here. It was almost like a local community centre and very much a family pub.”
Cotswold District Council. Planning: Smiles Brewing Company, 4th January 2000: Proposed timber staircase and minor alterations internally.
Gloucestershire Echo, 1st March 2000 – Wheel is jammed by flood: Floods have brought a restored ancient waterwheel to a halt. The 137-year-old Chedworth landmark, opposite the Seven Tuns pub, was hit by a tumult of water gushing down from the manor house’s pond. The force of the water rushing through the sluice gate, under the road and over the top of the 5ft. wheel, broke a strut and jammed it.
The wheel was rebuilt by the Chedworth Society for £6,000 three years ago, after being idle since 1913. Chedworth Society chairman Ted Broughton said: “Hopefully one strut won’t cost too much to repair. It used to pump water up to Manor Farm. Now it doesn’t serve any useful purpose, but it’s a lovely feature. People watch it from the pub’s garden.
Morning Advertiser, 16th November 2000 – £6m pubs deal means all Smiles for Youngs: Smiles, the Bristol-based company, has sold its estate to Young’s for £5.8m and is to concentrate on brewing. It had run up £4m worth of debts and posted a pre-tax loss of almost £750,000 in its results for the last financial year.
Young’s – one of the most highly respected of the larger regionals – took an 11% share in Smiles two years ago in a contra-deal. The new agreement gives Young’s another 17 pubs [including the Seven Tuns].
Wilts & Glos Standard, 30th August 2001 – More fun at roast: Locals in Chedworth enjoyed a revival of the original Cotswolds Pig Roast at the Seven Tuns pub. The event on bank holiday Monday was a huge success and included two roast pigs. Children enjoyed a face-painting session and in the evening, revellers were entertained by Andy James and his band.
Seven Tuns landlord Kevin Dursley said: “It was fantastic and well supported by the locals. We will definitely be holding one again next year.”
The event also featured the latest game of toilet racing, in which competitors race on a motor-powered toilet, while trying to catch toilet rolls to place in the ladies and gents.
Gloucestershire Echo, Tuesday 16th March 2004 – ‘Shoe is fit for Zara’ – landlord: Royal Zara Phillips has acquired the reputation as a modern day Cinderella. Like the fairy tale heroine, the 22-year old daughter of the Princess Royal lost a shoe during an evening out at a pub in Chedworth. But unlike the story, no Prince Charming has returned it to her and the Diana Ferrari size 6 shoe is still at the Seven Tuns pub.
The incident happened eight months ago and even though, according to the landlord Alex Davenport-Jones, there have been ‘several but not one in particular’ Prince Charmings spotted with Zara, not one has come forward to claim the shoe.
Gloucestershire Echo, 4th May 2005 – Village pub is in safe hands: Regulars at The Seven Tuns in Chedworth have been reassured that their “quintessential village local” is in safe hands. Landlord Alex Davenport-Jones has bought out the directors of the Admirable Pub Company, which went into liquidation last month.
Alex said: “The majority of people are happy that I’ve taken over.” Alex, who has run bars in London, Switzerland and South Africa, was invited in 2003 by the company to run the inn. But he said customers knew directors Danny Holmes and Nick Elliott were working away a lot. “People were very aware of the fact that the two directors were not working here and they were a bit put off by it,” he explained.
He stressed the change over had been on good terms. “From a business point of view the previous directors did everything intelligently,” he said. Staff at the pub, including two chefs and three front-of-house workers, are being kept on and trade has increased.
He said there were unlikely to be any major changes at the pub, which is mentioned in several guides. He added many customers had urged him not to “go gastro”. “People want to come here to have a drink and relax and love the idea of having a meal in a pub rather than a drink in restaurant surroundings”, he said.
Gloucestershire Echo, 20th May 2013 – Village pub has reopened doors: Glasses were raised for the reopening of a village pub. The Seven Tuns at Chedworth has opened again – but with interim proprietors. Richard and Jill Vestey took over on a short-term tenancy with landlords Wellington Pubs Ltd. The retired couple had their own pub for 18 years in Wiltshire.
The hostelry shut down after Young’s Brewery did not renew the lease with former tenant Alex Davenport-Jones. Criterion Asset Management is administering the site on behalf of Wellington Pubs Ltd. The Vesteys will man the pub until a full-time tenant is found.
3rd October 2013 – New landlord: The Seven Tuns in Chedworth has welcomed new landlord Paul Greenwood who takes over from Jill and Richard Vestee. The Queen Street pub has recently been registered as a community asset amid concerns its future was under threat.
Chedworth Parish Council: The Seven Tuns has closed again, at short notice. Residents discovered on Friday that the Tuns was closing with a half-price drinks night on Saturday, January 11th 2014. Builders are due to start work on the roof this week as it goes refurbishment before reopening under new management in February.
Wilts & Glos Standard, 23rd January 2014 – Pub’s closure: Popular Chedworth pub The Seven Tuns has closed for refurbishment after its interim manager’s contract expired. The pub is owned by the Wellington Pub Company and administered by Criterion Asset Management which has not been able to secure a tenant since Young’s Brewery left last year. Temporary managers have been running it ever since. CAM has been unable to say when it is due to reopen.
Gloucestershire Echo, Thursday 13th March 2014 – Villagers join in battle to save their only pub: Residents of a village in the Cotswolds will meet tonight to discuss the future of their only pub. The Seven Tuns in Chedworth closed last March after owner Wellington Pubs was unable to agree terms with the then landlord, Alex-Davenport Jones.
David Broad, chairman of the village hall, helped organise tonight’s meeting which will be held at the hall from 7.30pm. He said: “We need a pub here. It has traditionally done well, and I think its a viable business.”
After the pub closed, residents persuaded the village hall to open their bat a few evenings to bridge the gap. The pub has since reopened twice with temporary managers but the second one left abruptly in January this year. Last September, the parish council applied to Cotswold District Council to list the pub on the Community Asset Register to prevent its sale without the parish being made aware of it. It means, if a bid did come in, the community would have six months to match the bid before any considerations were made.
Mr Broad said: “Possibilities to be considered at tonight’s meeting are community purchase of the freehold, if it becomes available. We also hope to discuss supporting a local businesswoman who might be putting together a plan to reopen it as a pub, and to raise awareness of the desire of the community to keep the Seven Tuns as a pub and not lose it to some other purpose. If the owners think of selling it for any other purposes, they will have a fight on their hands.
Wellington Pubs was unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.
Chedworth Parish Council: David Broad. 20th November 2014 – The recent meeting of the Save the Seven Tuns steering group attracted about 70 attendees, despite an unusual start time. The meeting, chaired by Patricia Langley, elected a group and discussed future plans with the aim of having the Seven Tuns reopen as a pub. At least one potential tenant was present at the Seven Tuns meeting. Will Walmsley, who is canvassing opinion on what locals want from the Tuns by an online survey through the Friends of the Seven Tuns. Other potential tenants are also understood to have had viewings since the tenancy was offered.
Chedworth Silver Band pre-empted a suggestion that residents should gather at the Seven Tuns on Boxing Day by confirming that they would be playing around Tuns Hill as usual on Boxing Day, whether the pub was opened or closed.
Gloucestershire Echo, 23rd May 2015 – Scenic start for new pub owner: A pub is reopening under new ownership in Chedworth, near Cirencester after being closed for two years. The Seven Tuns has been taken over by Liz Henty, who has returned to the UK after 25 years in France, where she previously owned restaurants and hotels. She will open its doors tomorrow and aims to create a place where people can go just to enjoy a drink, or have a special meal.
Liz said she had been searching for a location in the UK for some time and chose the Seven Tuns because of its beautiful surroundings. “There was something about it here that drew me to it. Maybe because it reminded me of where I lived in France. It just felt very comfortable.”
Rigorous work has been under way since she took over six weeks ago to restore the building. There will be a menu including pub classics, along with a specials board, and Liz has hired a chef from Cheltenham. The pub will open at noon tomorrow, with live bands performing during the day and into the evening. Food will also be served.
Gloucestershire Echo, 6th May 2016 – Exploding tea-towel wrecked my pub: Combusting tea towels are to blame for a blaze which devastated a pub in the Cotswolds. damage which will cost thousands of pounds to repair has been caused to the kitchen of the Seven Tuns in Chedworth.
Landlady Liz Henty has warned of the dangers of exploding laundry after fire broke out in a tumble dryer and destroyed most of its kitchen. Towels which still contain oil residue after a wash can catch alight when they are tumble-dried.
Staff were shocked to find the kitchen’s £25,000 of equipment, including two ovens, a dishwasher and a walk-in freezer were badly damaged when they arrived for work the next day. The fire, which broke out on Wednesday last week, had raged through the night and only the kitchen’s fire doors protected the rest of the pub. Nobody was in the pub at the time, and neighbours did not hear the fire alarms.
Liz now says she is determined to keep the pub open and to hold celebrations to mark a year since her team took over. She said: “We worked really hard to put the pub back on the map. When something like this happens it’s soul destroying. Everything in the kitchen is fire-damaged. But there’s no damage to the pub – it’s just everything smells of burning plastic.”
She added: “We’re still intending to have our anniversary – the show will go on.”
The Seven Tuns is holding its celebrations on Tuesday 31st May. It will feature a barbecue, live music and cheese boards at the bar.
Map Reference: SP 053122
Licensing Details:
Owner in 1891: Cripps & Co., Cirencester Brewery
Rateable value in 1891: £16.0s.0d. (includes two acres of land)
Type of licence in 1891: Beerhouse
Owner in 1903: Cirencester Brewery
Rateable value in 1903: £12.15s.0d.
Type of licence in 1903: Beerhouse
Closing time in 1903: 10pm
Landlords at the Seven Tuns include:
1851 Robert Wilson
1861,1881 (William Glover Wilson in 1871)
1891 William Bridges
1903 Mildred Bridges
1939 Arthur Pinchin
1978-1998 Brian Eacott (died Christmas Day 1998, aged 59)
2001 Kevin Dursley
2004, 2013 Alex Davenport-Jones
2015 Liz Henty
