The Severn View Inn is a sandstone-built building located to the north of Lydney and, as its name implies, it overlooks the town and the River Severn.
The modern-day address of the Severn View Inn is 3 Lynwood Road, Primrose Hill. Locals tend to refer to the pub simply as ‘The View’.
Arnold, Perrett & Co. Ltd of Wickwar owned the Severn View Inn in 1891 and 1903. It was licensed as a beer house and had an annual rateable value of £17.2s.0d. Unlike the pubs in Lydney town which opened an extra hour, the Severn View had to call ‘last orders’ for 10 pm closing.
The Cheltenham Original Brewery took over the ownership of the Severn View Inn when the business of Arnold Perrett & Co. Ltd. of Wickwar was acquired in 1924.
Forest of Dean & Ross-on-Wye Pubs. A critical guide by Jon Hurley. (booklet, 1991): Perched above the town and not easy to find this is a cosy little two-bar job. Good atmosphere, pleasant landlord. The pool table is mercifully hidden, and there are some amusing bull prints on the walls. The lounge bar is long and narrow with exposed stone. Worth a visit. Food available.
The landlady of the Severn View was not impressed with the views of Councillor Alan Preest in February 2009 after he contacted pub company giant JD Wetherspoon attempting to bring new business into Lydney. He said, “I have spoken to Wetherspoon’s about a number of empty premises in Lydney and I am hoping they will send a surveyor down to take a closer look”. Karen James, who was also chair of the Pubwatch scheme, was infuriated claiming that Mr Preest had betrayed those who ran pubs in the town. “Alan Preest is not welcome in my pub anymore”, she said, “He says constantly that he supports local businesses but he’s trying to bring in a chain that none of us can complete with. They do 99p a pint promotions which they don’t make a profit on just to bring people in.”
In January 2013 Karen James was able to toast the new year in when she completed negotiations with previous owners Punch Taverns to buy the Severn View. She was fed up with the pub company’s annual rent rises. She said, “It’s wonderful to finally be running the pub in the way that I really want to. It’s not just about economy – I found working under a brewer [pub co] more restrictive.”
Landlords at the Severn View include:
1870’s John Stephens
1891 David Camm
1903 Edwin Thomas
1919-1936 Robert Wilkins (Robert died in 1936 – ‘licensee of the Severn View Inn for 17 years’)
1939 Harold Sandford
1953 Ernie Nelmes
1969 Jimmy Love
1977 Ted Wilson
1980 Phil Schofield
1986 Ian Yates
1995 John Angove
1997 John Powell
2004,2022 Karen James
