Kellys 1939 Directory lists the pub as Ye Old Swan Inn. The building that was once the Swan is now Old Swan Cottage.
Gloucester Journal, Saturday 11th December 1971: Dave Russell, probably one of the best-known darts players in the Stroud and Dursley areas, was a member of the Swan Inn, Coaley, team which won the Nodor National Challenge Cup for England and Wales. At one stage in the last game of the final he placed all three darts in the treble 20 to register 180. This gave his team a commanding lead.
Local darts pair in All-England final: Dave Russell and Mrs Margaret Sullivan from The Swan Inn, Coaley representing Gloucestershire, won the Western Area Counties darts final of the mixed pairs by defeating Cornwall 2-0 in the semi-final and Devon 2-1 in the final.
They will now represent the Western Counties in the All-England finals which will be played at Springfields, Spalding, Lincs on Saturday 25th October at 3pm.
The Citizen, 15th August 1974 – Swan song for pub and its landlords: When Coaley licensees Basil and Audrey Curtis leave the village at the end of the month it will be a swan-song in more ways than one. The public house they have run for the past six and a half years – the Swan Inn – will be closing down when they leave. And regulars who have enjoyed a whirl of social activity there, will have to look to the village’s one other local public house.
“The Swan Inn is recognised nationally for its darts teams,” said Mrs Curtis, who has been offered the chance of running the Severn Bridge and Railway Hotel at Sharpness with her husband. “I am sure we will miss working in Coaley and our customers will miss the very busy social life of the pub.
The brewers, Whitbread Flowers Ltd, who own the other public house in the village, feel the the area adequately catered for with just the one pub. “It’s a question of economics,” said a brewery spokesman. “We considered the future of the Swan when the landlord successfully applied for the job of running our hotel in Sharpness. Our policy is one of centralisation, particularly in view of the rising costs of maintaining these places.”
But the decision to close down the Swan Inn will create a big gap in the village social life. The public house was the meeting point for games of quoits and cribbage, darts matches and even fund-raising events for charity. “In the past year we have raised enough money for two ‘Lord Snowdon’ wheelchairs, which we have given to charity and we have always enjoyed a very good social life with our customers,” said Mrs Curtis. “I think they are the ones who have generated all this activity and even without us or the pub this should be able to continue in the village.
Mrs Curtis said that she and her husband’s decision to move was made before the brewery decided to close down the public house, which is the second one to close down in the village in recent years. The Swan Inn has seen seven landlords before Mr and Mrs Curtis took over. The customers will be sorry to see it go, but they won’t miss out on the final fling… a farewell party organised by Mr and Mrs Curtis.
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Licensing Details:
Owner in 1891: Lord Fitzhardinge (free from brewery tie)
Rateable value in 1891: £26.0s.0d. this included just over 5 acres of land (5a.2r.27p. to be precise).
Type of licence in 1891: Alehouse
Owner in 1903: Lord Fitzhardinge (free from brewery tie)
Rateable value in 1903: £11.0s.0d.
Type of licence in 1903: Alehouse
Closing time in 1903: 10pm
Landlords at the Swan Inn include:
1856 J. Smith
1881,1885 Jesse Smith (Jesse and Dorcus Smith in 1881 census)
1902 Robert Smith
1903,1906,1939 Harry Curtis
