11 Sainsbury’s – Cheltenham Southtown

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135-137 Bath Road

Both 135 and 137 Bath Road occupied the site of the present Sainsbury’s.

135 Bath Road (formerly 3 Northwick Place or “The Fountain Inn”)

The Fountain Inn was first mentioned in the local press in 1837, when Miss Hannah Phipps at that address was married to Mr Charles Parker. Ten years later her father Mr Thomas Phipps, the landlord of the pub, died at his home 11 Commercial Street, which was at the end of the yard behind the Inn. He was succeeded by his son Henry Phipps, who surrendered the tenancy in about 1852 but continued to live with his family next door at Marlborough Cottage, number 4 Northwick Place. In 1854 the Inn was advertised to be let and was described as a ‘spirit house, free for brewing, with good cellarage, a covered skittles alley and a small garden’. This was a free house, with a small brewery attached.

The license was transferred to George Mills in 1858 and then in 1860 to Joseph Herbert Mann, who begged respectfully to inform the public that he had taken over the “old established” inn, in the Cheltenham Mercury newspaper. Henry Phipps died in 1867 at Marlborough Cottage, when he was described as a ‘cooper’ or barrel-maker.

In common with many public houses in the 19th century, the Fountain Inn was used for meetings such as auctions and coroner’s inquests. An inquest was held here in April 1851 into the death of Mrs Hester Smith, who lived at Victoria Street.

The Cheltenham Examiner of 27th September 1843 reported that Mr Bullock who worked at the Fountain Inn, in Bath Road, had a prize sow pig measuring 9 feet long and 3 feet 10 inches high. It must have been a sight!

During the 1880s the licensee here was Martha Hoatson, the Yorkshire born wife of Alexander Hoatson, a retired accountant.

In September 1893 Charles Jordan was fined 5 shillings (25p) for leaving his horse and cart unattended outside the pub for the space of half an hour. This was deemed an act of carelessness, presumably because the horse might have bolted and been a traffic hazard. It seems however that this particular horse was quite content to be left standing here at the kerb!

By 1905 the Fountain Inn was let to the Stroud brewers Godsell and Sons and they were licensed to sell only ale. The licensee around the turn of the twentieth century was Mr Frank Young, assisted by his wife Harriet. She had previously been married to Mr George Child, also a publican. Frank and Harriet stayed at the Fountain until 1907 when they moved further up the Bath Road to the Five Alls.

Early in 1907 the next licensees, Mr George Washington Standen and his new wife Elfrida, took over. George had previously had a good position as a huntsman with the Romney Marsh Harriers and Elfrida had been chief waitress at the New Inn at Gloucester.

George and Elfrida had pooled their savings to invest in the Fountain Inn. Life was quite hard as a landlord and care had to be taken when serving customers. To supply drink to a drunken person or to permit drunkenness on licensed premises could result in the landlord being turned out by the owners of the house. Both of these charges were brought against George in the autumn of 1907.

On the day in question George was in bed with a severe cold and Elfrida was left to manage the bar alone. Just after mid-day she left the bar to prepare some gruel for her sick husband and when she returned, she found the alleged drunken person in the bar about to eat the food that he had brought with him.

Elfrida served him with a pint of beer and he appeared sober enough to walk up to the bar and collect it and return to his table. Elfrida then left the bar to fetch some refreshment for herself and it was some time later that she heard a noise coming from the bar.

She quickly returned to find two police officers there, accusing the person of drunkenness. The officers then escorted him to the police station. Despite the fact that there were many more witnesses claiming he was sober, compared to those stating he was drunk, the case was proved against the Standens and they were fined £2 and costs for permitting drunkenness and £1 and costs for supplying a drunken person.

Over the next decade other landlords here fell foul of the law for permitting drunkenness with the fines ranging from 10/- (50p) to £2.

The last licensee at the Fountain Inn was Harry Braint, who was here after the First World War, until the licence expired in August 1930.

After refurbishment these premises became shared between the Bath Road branch of Modern Radio and the Magneto Service Company. The latter company was a firm of electrical engineers specialising in car electrics. They had gone by 1935 and Modern Radio followed a year or so later.

For the next dozen years this was the ‘joke-shop’ of Frank Edward Gerrard and his wife, Molly. A dark little shop, all sorts of jokes, false wigs and props could be bought here – when it was open! Opening hours fitted around Frank’s conjuring business, where he was known as Professor Bovey. Both he and Molly were colourful characters and dressed in gaudy Chinese costumes. They gave amazing displays of magical tricks and illusions and were regular entertainers at the Eversfield Pleasure Grounds at Bishop’s Cleeve for many years.

By 1950 the property at 135 Bath Road had been acquired by the tailor next door, Mr George Barrett, who by the end of the decade had leased this part to Mrs Lilian Garthwaite to sell ladies lingerie.

In 1963 these premises, along with Mr Barrett’s main shop next door to the left, were sold to the supermarket Fine Fare. It was opened on May 22nd 1963 by the television personality Katie Boyle. She was assisted by the popular Dagenham Girl Pipers who marched along the Bath Road prior to Miss Boyle cutting the ribbon to open the new store. It has continued to be run as a supermarket, in recent years trading as Gateway, Somerfield, Spar and since 2010, as Sainsbury’s.

W.G Barrett, Gents Outfitter, in about 1960. The shop with the large white blind had been the Fountain Inn (photo courtesy of Sophie Goddard).

Fine Fare Supermarket in about 1970. Barret's had occupied the left hand part of the site (photo courtesy of The Wilson, Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum)

137 Bath Road (formerly 4 Northwick Place or “Marlborough Cottage”)

Marlborough Cottage already existed by 1828, when it was advertised for sale. It occupied a site corresponding to the left hand (southern) half of the present supermarket and must have been one of the earliest houses in Bath Road, built in the early 1820s. We can surmise that the address did not become 4 Northwick Place until after 1838, the year in which Lord Northwick acquired nearby Thirlestaine House.

In the 1830s Marlborough Cottage was the home of Henry Phipps, the landlord of the Fountain Inn next door. In 1852, the year he surrendered the tenancy of the pub, Henry and his wife Alice had a son called Samuel, who went on to open a business here.

Samuel Henry Phipps was a ‘hosier, hatter and shirtmaker’, whilst his wife Elizabeth, whom he married in 1882, was the daughter of Jethro Butt, a bootmaker from Great Norwood Street. Samuel and Elizabeth had two sons, Walter and Samuel (junior). In 1884, and again in 1886, Samuel was fined for neglecting to have his children vaccinated against smallpox.

At around the start of the 20th century Samuel Henry Phipps appears to have sold the business to The Golden Anchor Clothing Company, which was founded in Gloucester in 1875. He continued to live at these premises, however, until his death at the young age of 51, in July 1902. Elizabeth stayed here for a while, before moving to Langdon Road with her sister Sarah and her youngest son, Walter. It was there that she died in 1927.

Walter & Ethel Barrett

In 1906, the business was bought by Mr Charles Barrett, a leading member of the Pilley Baptist church and a part-owner of a Cheltenham coal merchants. For a short time before this the shop had been branded “The Famous”, presumably a branch of the well known gentlemen’s outfitter. There is a misconception that “The Famous” was founded here in Bath Road but research indicates that it originated in the High Street, under the ownership of the Symons Brothers, in 1886. They sold the company to Mr Edwin Cheeseright, who later sold it to Mr Abraham (A.N.) Cole.

Initially Charles called his business The Marlborough Outfitting and Hosiery Establishment but this later became known simply as Barrett’s. It is not clear whether he ever took an active part in the business (it wasn’t mentioned in his obituary) but by at least 1920 the shop was run by his son Walter George Barrett, who earned a reputation as a first-class tailor. He was described as a real gentleman and used to begin his day stood in the doorway of his shop wishing all the passers-by a good morning!

Walter preached at the Pilley Chapel and ran Pilley Boys Club for many years. He was also a Scout Commisioner and scout uniforms could be purchased from his shop. He always had plenty in stock of all sizes. During the 1950s Mr Barrett took over the adjoining premises at 135 Bath Road, which he leased to Mrs Garthwaite (see 3 Northwick Place).

Receipted Invoice, 1928 (courtesy of Nik Thomas)

1935

In 1963 Walter Barrett sold these premises to Fine Fare, who redeveloped the site and opened a supermarket here later that year. Barrett’s then relocated to 53 Great Norwood Street. Both 135 and 137 Bath Road occupied the site of the present Sainsburys.

Sainsbury’s

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135-137 Bath Road in 1997.

Researchers: Marilyn West
& Stuart Manton (January 2023)

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