The Trouble House is located in an isolated position on the Tetbury to Cirencester road (A433) about two miles to the north-east of Tetbury. It is in the parish of Cherington (two miles to the north) but the nearest settlement is Culkerton (one mile to the east).
The 17th century Trouble House has a fascinating history. It was called the Waggon and Horses occasionally between circa 1824-1856 but there is an early reference to the Trouble House in 1777. It has seen two suicides and violent skirmishes amongst agricultural workers, little wonder, then, the pub was renamed the Trouble House. Not surprisingly it has at least one resident ghost. A mysterious ‘Lady in Blue’ is a common ghost, seen by both innkeepers and customers.
Ken Murray, an Australian living in New York, is a descendant of the Harewell family who ran the pub in the 1830’s, told me: “The ‘Lady in Blue’ appears as a very life-like woman with long hair (occasionally wearing a hood) in the back rooms of the pub, such that workers ask her “are you looking for the phone?”… then she disappears. She likes to move things around.. especially keys. A past resident (circa 1948) was trying to light the candles when someone unseen placed the matches into his hand. A few years ago she was seen carrying a try of empty beer bottles through the back door.”
The Trouble House Inn was once tied to Warn’s Tetbury Brewery, and when the Stroud Brewery acquired Warns in 1931 Stroud Beers were on offer. The Trouble House was purchased by Wadworth of Devizes, Wiltshire. c.1937.
Licensing Details:
Owner in 1891: Misses George (leased to William Warn, brewer)
Rateable value in 1891: £16.0s.0d.
Type of licence in 1891: Alehouse
Owner in 1903: Misses George (leased to William Warn, brewer)
Rateable value in 1903: £8.10s.0d.
Type of licence in 1903: Alehouse
Closing time in 1903: 10pm
Landlords at the Trouble House include:
1755 John Reeve
1757 John Bird
1768 Anna Taylor and Mary Vaughn (nee Taylor) (owners), Richard Reeve (lessee)
c1800 John Taylor Vaughan (son of Mary)
1804 -1830 Zebulon Harewell (died in 1830) Zebulon possibly brewed beer on the premises.
1830-1844 Zebulon Harewell junior (died in 1844)
1844 John Loversedge George (bought for £1,200)
1850-1891 Thomas White (born June 1821, died 1891)
1903 John William Warn
1906 William Sessions
1913,1927 William John Warn
1931 Agnes Wills
1937,1939 Thomas Tremlin
1943 Elizabeth Tremlin
1958-1974 William Walter ‘Laddie’ Peare
1974-1996 Patricia and David W. Robins
1996 James and Karen Pegler
1998,1999 Stephen Tombleson
2001-2007 Michael and Sarah Bedford
2007 (Sept) Martin Caws
