Numbered 200 High Street in the 1891 Post Office Directory. The modern address is 361 High Street. The Somerset Arms closed in 1923 and the premises was converted to a cycle dealer, the business of Alec Hamlen. In more recent times the ground floor of the building was in use as a laundrette – Wash ‘n’ Vac – but the premises have since been converted to residential use. The frontage is quite small, the Somerset Arms must have been a basic no-frills establishment, akin to a micro-pub of today.
Corpus Christi College of Oxford were the owners of the Somerset Arms in 1891 and 1903. The lease of the property was taken by the Cheltenham Original Brewery. The premises licence was for a beer house and the annual rateable value of £15.5s.0d. remained at the same level during those twelve years.
Above image: Chris Amies
Somerset Arms and Cooperage Inn – 200 and 203 Lower High Street, Cheltenham and the Birmingham House 204 High Street.
Geoff,
I thought I would cover the Somerset Arms and the Cooperage Inn together, as they were located only a few doors apart and both owned by Corpus Christi College Oxford at one time.
I am not sure when the Cooperage Inn at 203 High Street opened, but it wasn’t marked on the 1855-7 Old Town Survey map as a licensed premises of any kind. Neither were either of its neighbours. I mention this because to the west of it on the 1855-7 Old Town Survey map was numbered 202 1/2 rather than 201 (meaning the Somerset Arms was 4 buildings away, not 3), but for another reason I will get to in a moment also.
The first listing I came across of 203 High Street as a pub was in the 1890-1 Post Office Directory, when it is actually listed as the Gloucester House. William Compton was the landlord, which ties in with your listings. However, he had been listed as a cooper at 203 High Street certainly since the 182-3 Royal Directory, so may have also been operating a beer house for his customers (and others who wanted a drink) at his Cooperage since pre-1878, which is the first listing you have for him as a landlord. (202 1/2 was home to J. Bassett, butcher, and 204 to H. Hands, grocer in 1872-3; Cyrtis & Bess Drapers in 1876 & 1878; nothing listed 1880-1; but in 1883-4 the Birmingham House, landlord J.A. Marslin. Though by the 1890-1 Post Office Directory, it was back to being a butchers – Eastman’s Ltd – so a short-lived pub, it would seem, but another for a while none the less).
The Somerset Arms had existed at no. 200 all this time – as I said 4 doors along, rather than 3 because of the no. 202 1/2. This is marked on the 1855-7 Old Town Survey map as BH for Beer House, and indeed it existed even before this, as it is listed in the 1851 Edward’s Directory as a Beer House, landlord S. Hayward and in the 1852 Edwards Directory “200 High Street, T. Lewis, beerhouse”
Regards
Alan Jones
Landlords at the Somerset Arms include:
1870 Charles Moulder
1878 Eliza Roberts
1883 Mrs Maddock
1891 Jane Maddock
1903 Susannah F. Young