The George Inn, tied to the Stroud Brewery, was a well-proportioned sandstone-built building but with no distinguishing features. When the inn sign was removed there would have been nothing to suggest that it was once a pub. It has long been demolished but a cottage, named Bream View, that was in the bottom of the garden of the George Inn, still stands.
Gloucester Citizen, Thursday 14th January 1897 – Coleford Police Court: Robert Wintle, landlord of the George, Yorkley, was fined 10s. and 9s. costs for selling beer during prohibited hours; and George Beddis and James Willett, of Pillowell, colliers, were each fined 2s.6d. and 7s. costs for being found on the above premises during prohibited hours.
Stroud Brewery were the owners of the George Inn as early as 1891. It remained in their ownership until the late 1950’s when the Stroud and Cheltenham breweries amalgamated to form West Country Breweries. The annual rateable value of the George Inn, a licensed beer house, was set at £12.0s.0d. in 1891 and 1903 with a closing time at 10 pm.
Gloucester Citizen, Wednesday 27th August 1958: An application by Ben Trafford of the Homestead, New Road, Bream, for a protection order in respect of the George Inn, Yorkley, was approved by Coleford justices yesterday.
Lydney Observer, Friday 25th October 1974 – Yorkley Landlords’ Death: Mr Harold John Skidmore (60), of the George Inn, Yorkley, died at his home on Tuesday afternoon. Mr Skidmore, who was born at Tutshill, has owned three public houses in the Forest of Dean; the New Inn, Bream, the New Inn, Whitecroft and the George at Yorkley. He was president for Whitecroft Football Club and, while at Whitecroft, was very much involved in money-raising efforts for the elderly. He leaves a wife, Mrs Eileen Skidmore, four sons, Colin, Cliff. Peter and Raymond, and a daugher, Eileen, who lives in Australia. The funeral is next Saturday morning at St Pauls Parish Church, Parkend.
Evelyn Beard is the daughter of Horace and Meg (Margaret) Ellway, who ran the George Inn from the late 1930’s until 1957. Evelyn remembers the time when Stroud Brewery beer was in short supply during and after the Second World War. She said, “Beer was scarce at the time, and once a barrel was opened it was sold very quickly until it ran out with everyone buying pints instead of halves to make sure they got their share. The pub would then have to close until the next delivery.’ She also recalled a woman named Hilda Akers who was rather partial to a glass of beer and, apparently, was the first woman to regularly drink at the George sometime during or after the war. She recalled Mrs Akers sitting in the Smoke Room drinking beer and bemused men going from the Tap Room to the Smoke Room just to see her supping her ale. Evelyn also recalled, “a couple of other memories was that Woodbines cost 4d per packet of 10, or 5 wrapped in paper for tuppence (2d.) Players cigarettes were six pence for 10. Plenty of tobacco was sold to the older men who smoked pipes whilst they played cards in the Tap Room.”
Landlords at the George Inn include:
1891 Eli Evans
1897, 1903 Robert Wintle
1911 (August) licence transferred from the late George Henry Hawkins to his widow.
George and Polly James (Polly was Margaret Ellways aunt)
1939,1951 Horace Ellway (died 18th Dec. 1951)
1952-1957 Margaret Baxter Ellway (known as Meg)
1958 (Dec) Mr and Mrs Ben Trafford
1961 Mr and Mrs Ivor Ellis (they moved to the Oakwood Inn, near Bream)
1969 Phyllis Beddis
1974 Harold and Eileen Skidmore (Harold died 22nd October 1974)
