The Waterloo Bar was in the vicinity of the present-day Vision Express. The Waterloo was numbered 369A High Street in the original High Street numbering, which equates to 188 High Street today. The location was centrally placed in the heart of Cheltenham, opposite Pittville Street.
Originally the premises were a chemist (J.A. Seys, chemists in 1870), and thirteen years in 1883 later the property seems to have been spilt between J.T. Bradbeer, milliner and dressmaker, and Bullock and Schafe cooks and confectioners.
The Waterloo Bar was owned by Mitchell’s of Birmingham, part of Mitchell & Butlers.
Mitchell & Co., Birmingham are documented in the petty licensing records of 1891 and 1903 as the owners of the Waterloo Bar. The annual rateable value in 1891 was a substantial £138.10s.0d., but the premise licence was for a beer house. I cannot explain this apparent anomaly. By the time of the next licensing returns in 1903 the rates per year had decreased by eighty-three pounds and five shillings to £55.5s.0d. The licence stipulated that beer was to be served on the premises only and it was restricted to six days, presumably closed on Sundays.
The Waterloo Vaults closed c.1923. The premises was converted to an opticians (Richard Thomas, opticians in 1926), later becoming Peter Robinson’s ladies outfitters.
Landlords:
1891 Ellen Florence Burdett
1903 Robert Henry Jones
