The Watersmeet is about a quarter of a mile to the north of Hartpury on the A417 Gloucester to Ledbury Road. Mike Payne has done some research on the buildings in the village and discovered that there was a building on this site in the 1903 and 1923 Ordnance Survey maps although not marked as a public house. In the sale of the Hartpury estate (1919) the cottage and surrounding buildings were part of Slopers Farm. Mention was made of the deep pools of water near the main road affording coarse fishing.
The Watersmeet started as a small cottage which was then extended to provide B&B accomodation. Tom Ring may well have been the first licensee – It has been run by the Ring family for at least 25 years. The Watersmeet is set in ten acres of land and has three fishing lakes which has gained it a good reputation with anglers. It is more of a country retreat than a pub. An advertisement in a local paper described it as ‘one of the county’s best kept secrets.’ – ‘The Watersmeet Motel and Angling Centre.’
The Watersmeet Hotel and Angling Centre suffered badly in the catastrophic floods of July 2007. It was reopened in March 2008 with a new kitchen and bar area.
http://watersmeet-country-inn-igloucestershire.com
Map Reference: SO 798259
Landlords / Owners:
c.1974- Tom and Eve Ring
Thomas James Ring (son of Tom)
