Bollow is a small hamlet on the western banks of the River Severn two miles to the east of Westbury on Severn just to the south of Chaxhill. Not to be confused with Bullo Pill which is further downstream by Newnham. A pub located on the river bank was known as the Bollow House in 1823 and 1836 references. It later became known as the Sloop Inn.
Gloucestershire Chronicle, Saturday 13th June 1874: In liquidation. Sloop Inn, Bollow, Westbury-on-Severn. J.W. Bourn is instructed by the Trustee of the Estate of William Greening to sell by auction on the above premises, on Friday, the 19th day of June, 1874, at one o’clock punctually ‘The Whole of the Household Furniture, Stock-in-Trade and effects.’
Gloucester Journal, Saturday 12th October 1918: Temporary transfer was granted of the license of the Sloop Inn, Bollow, Westbury-on-Severn, from William Greening to his son, Henry Greening. Mr Greening, senior, had held the license for 51 years.
In the 1891 licensing records of Gloucestershire the Sloop Inn is described as an alehouse, free of brewery tie, with an annual rateable value of £18.0s.0d. It was owned by William Greening who must have accepted an offer from the Nailsworth Brewery – based on the other side of the River Severn – as it was in their ownership in 1903. The rateable value was unchanged. The Sloop Inn had a licence that enabled it to sell intoxicating liquor until 11 pm – surprisingly late for such an isolated pub, although it is not difficult to imagine drinking going on even after permitted. An interesting thought is how the beers from Nailsworth were delivered to the Sloop Inn. Were they delivered by horse and cart via Gloucester, loaded onto a train and taken over the Severn Railway Bridge to the south and distributed from Cinderford or, perhaps, taken across the River Severn on a ferry boat?
I was told an interesting tale by Mike Buckland, who lived near Bollow, some years ago when he sent me an email. He said that there are very tall plane trees lining the banks of the River Severn near to the site of the old Sloop Inn. He explained that the River Severn was once an active waterway and boatmen would drive wooden posts along the banks to secure their boats. Some of these wooden stakes rooted and eventually sprouted into trees.
The Sloop Inn, an alehouse, was referred for compensation without any objection at the principal meeting of the Compensation Authority for the County of Gloucester held at Shire Hall, Gloucester, on Thursday 24th June 1926.
The Sloop Inn closed on 20th April 1927. The building is now a private residence called the Sloop, located up a private drive off Goose Lane.
Landlords at the Sloop Inn include:
1851,1856 William Coldwell (aged 62 in 1851)
1885, 1919 William Greening
1927 Leslie Hart
