The Sundial was once tied to the Brimscombe Brewery. The pub later became a Stroud Brewery house. The Stroud petty sessions of 1926 observed that there were “four other licensed houses within a distance of 254 yards of the Sundial.” The Sundial was recommended for closure and must have closed down soon afterwards.
A feature was a large sundial under which the pubs name was painted on the stonework. The old sundial can still be seen to this day and the exterior of the building has altered very little in the intervening years.
The Citizen, 19th September 1984: New look for old sundial: Retired wing commander David Godsell has renovated a ‘timely’ feature on his Stroud home. Set high on the front wall of his London Road home, a lovingly restored old sundial is attracting a lot of interest, from locals and visitors alike.
“We bought the house about eight years ago. I found the sundial interesting because it was obviously old,” said Mr Godsell. “It goes back to the 1790’s.” The dial was in a sorry state of repair, so Mr Godsell decided to do something about it. “I borrowed a tower, had a look at it and discovered that I could make the bits that were missing,” he said. “The first thing was to carry out some research. I didn’t want to paint it like a dartboard!”
A trip to Gloucester to delve into the archives brought worthwhile results. Book after book on sundials eventually turned up information about an almost identical “timepiece” in Wiltshire. “The book dated from about 1830, so the illustrations were in black and white,” he added. “However, the sundial was described as being coloured the blue of a blackbird’s egg.”
Repair work and gold-leafing had to be conducted by scaffolding with the old dial still in place. “Tourists have been taking photographs of it,” said Mr. Godsell. “The time is dead accurate, but, of course, it works in British Mean Time.”
Stroud News & Journal, Wednesday 9th February 2005. Property. Sundial House, 13 London Road, Stroud. Price £174,950: Formerly the Sundial Public House, this charming Grade II listed Cotswold stone house is located within a few hundred yards of Stroud town centre. An entrance hall gives open access to the dining room with a recess pine cupboard, exposed oak flooring and timber stairs to the first floor.
From the dining room there is access to the basement cellar via a timber floor hatch and open access to a kitchen fitted with base units set under a pine work surface, a built-in extractor fan, exposed flooring and exposed joists on the sloped ceiling.
A bedroom and a bathroom fitted with a three-piece suite comprising a bath, WC and washbasin are located on the first floor whilst bedroom one is situated on the second floor. The gardens to the front of the house are concreted whilst the rear garden is raised, laid to lawn with decking, and Cotswold stone terraces.
Licensing Details:
Owner in 1891: Smith & Sons, Brimscombe Brewery
Rateable value in 1891: £13.10s.0d.
Type of licence in 1891: Alehouse
Owner in 1903: Exors of Mrs Hunt (leased Smith & Sons, Brimscombe Brewery)
Rateable value in 1903: £13.0s.0d.
Type of licence in 1903: Alehouse
Closing time in 1903: 11pm
Landlords at the Sundial include:
1885 Robert Hunt
1891 David Heaven
1902,1906 Joseph Benjamin Flight
1919 Edward T. Hale
1927 Reginald W. Butcher
