During my research of Gloucestershire pubs there have been a few occasions when I have hit the proverbial brick wall and really get confused. Documenting the Stag and Hounds in Paganhill has certainly proved troublesome. There is a photograph taken in 1870 by J. Fullaway, 6 St George Street, Stroud, of a magnificent and triumphal arch erected by the Gloucestershire Agricultural Society (G.A.S). By coincidence the Stag and Hounds Inn is clearly seen in the background of the photograph. I have been unable to find any contemporary references to the Stag and Hounds. The pub is not mentioned in the 1891 and 1903 licensing books of Gloucestershire. Likewise I have not found any references in Gloucestershire County Directories. The ornamental arch dominates the photograph and it reads ‘Ye beasts and cattle. Bless ye the Lord. Magnify him forever.’ The famous Paganhill maypole is just visible behind the Stag and Hounds. It stood 84 feet high when the photo was taken. The inn must have been demolished soon after the photograph was taken. The Stag and Hounds stood approximately where the gates of Upfield School stands today.
Pubs and Breweries in Gloucestershire Past and Present
