Thornbury Pubs

This page provides links to what we know about the history of Thornbury pubs:

 Present Day pubs

Click on any of the links below to read the history of each pub.

Old Pubs and Beerhouses

Click on any of the links below to read about the old pubs and beerhouses.

• Bathing Place – George Henry Exell was listed in a Trade Directory for 1869 as running the beerhouse ‘The Bathin Place’ which allowed customers to have refreshments whilst bathing.

• Beaufort Arms – there were two pubs known by this name.  The first pub called the Beaufort Arms was located at 67 High Street.  It had previously been known as The Cock and then The New Inn.  It became the Beaufort Arms from about 1842 to 1847 when it closed.  The name was transferred to a new location at 57 High Street where it traded from 1847 to 1882.

• Black Lion – it traded under that name from 1862 to 1883.  It was previously known as the White Hart from 1858 to 1862.  The property is now known as The Lion House at 9 Castle Street.

• Cock Inn – located at 67 High Street.  It traded there under that name from at least 1739 to 1810.  It changed its name to the New Inn and then the Beaufort Arms which closed in 1882.

• The Crispin – a beerhouse also known as The Jolly Crispin.  It traded at 2 Crispin Lane from 1838 to about 1900.

• Crown – there were two pubs known as The Crown.  The one at 29 High Street was run by Thomas Cox in 1732 and we believe that by 1759 it had become The Lamb run by Edward Thurston.  The second location of The Crown was 25 High Street.  It was there for at least 80 years from 1765.  During this time it was sometimes referred to as The Rose and Crown.

• Cockmead – a beerhouse also known as The Apple Tree Inn was situated in Kington Lane.  It closed in 1869 and became a laundry.  The property is now known as The Hollow.

• Crookhorne – we have several references to this property.  The first dated 1483 and others dated 1590, 1633 and 1676.  It is assumed that the Crookhorne was a pub and this may be supported by the reference in the Thornbury Court Rolls dated 28th March 1633 which shows that William Taylor purchased a property called ‘le Crookhorne’.  Another entry in the Court Rolls describes William as a victualler in 1631.  We are not certain of the exact location but believe it to be on the west side of the High Street at or near what is now number 18.

• The George – this pub was located at 26 High Street.  Our earliest record of it was in 1661 when it was called the Widows Mantle, but by 1735 it had changed its name to The George.  By 1791 the pub had closed and the property was used as a school.

• The Horseshoe – it ran from the early 1700s or earlier to 1907.  It was situated at 25 St Mary Street and the building is now used as part of the shopping centre.

• The Jolly Butcher – shown on the O.S. map 1947-1965 as being near the junction of the old Grovesend Lane and A38.  We have been unable to confirm whether this was a pub and would like to hear from anyone who knows anything about it.

• Lamb – there were two pubs known as The Lamb.  The first Lamb was at Thornbury House in Castle Street, where Warwick Place now situated.  The second Lamb was at 29 High Street (see also Crown above).

• The Plough – at 3 St Mary Street.  It traded  there from the mid 1800s to 2011.

• Red Lion Inn – (location identified in 2022) for a few years in the 1830’s and early 1840s the property at 21 St John Street  became the Red Lion Inn run by Charles Hopton.

• Red Heart – the1769 Overseers Accounts show that William Pountney or his tenants were paying a half-penny for the Red Heart.  We have been unable to identify where this pub was located.

• Rose and Crown – a beerhouse operated by William Cullimore from about 1840 to about 1850 at 43/45 St Mary Street

• Queens Head – traded as a pub for about 100 years up to  1958.  It was located at 65 High Street.

• Seven Stars – we know that it traded as a pub for at least 60 years in the mid 1800’s.  The name carried on being used a long time after when the premises was used as a lodging house.  It was located at 21 Rock Street

• Tavern – there was a pub on the site of The Town Hall at 35 High Street from as early as 1590 to 1755.  It was sometimes referred to as The Wine Tavern.

• Tigers Head – throughout most of the seventeenth century the Tigers Head (sometimes spelt Tygers Head) was at 49/51 High Street

• White Hart – at 6 The Plain from early 1700s to 1858.  The building was demolished in 1858 and replaced by the bank.  The name was transferred to a new location at 9 Castle Street, and renamed The Black Lion in 1862.

• Widows Mantle – this pub was located at 26 High Street.  Our earliest record of it was in 1661, but by 1735 it had changed its name to The George.  By 1791 the pub had closed and the property was used as a school.