Home > Gloucestershire > Tewkesbury > Black Bear Black Bear
Picture source: Hania Franek
The Black Bear was situated at 68 High Street. This grade-II* listed pub closed in 2017.  The Fire Pit has opened in the pub's outbuildings.
The Black Bear reopened in 2023.
Helen Iwanczuk (October 2023)
Listed building details:
Inn. Early C16. Timber-framing, painted brickwork or plaster panels; square-panelled with tension bracing to first floor and close-studded to ground floor, tile roof, brick stacks. PLAN: a short frontage to High Street, with a throughway to the left, and a longer return, in 2 parts, to Mythe Road. L-plan, with central chimney breast backed by the staircase in the internal angle, and corridor along the back to single-depth rooms; the slightly lower end section, to the west, in large full-depth rooms, may have been a service unit, with loading doors, modified in the C17 as an extension to the main premises. EXTERIOR: High Street front is in 2 storeys, with replacement framing. A formerly jettied first floor in braced box framing is above a close-studded ground floor. The windows are all replacement casements with wood mullions and leading, 5+5-lights at first floor, and 3+4-light with transom to the ground floor. To the left is an early plank door on strap hinges, and on a sandstone step giving to the throughway. A deep eaves conceals the guttering. The left return gable is plain, rendered, with an external brick stack. The longer frontage has a jettied section with a broad gable to the left in braced framing. In 2 storeys, with a basement and former attic, this has a blocked opening in the gable and in the first floor below it. In the jettied section are two 2-light casements, paired to a stud member, and a further 2-light with a blocked opening beyond. In the ground floor are two 2-light casements with transom, near the corner, a small 12-pane sash, a 3+2-light casement with horizontal bars, and a large 16-pane sash. To the left of this sash is an early plank door. The jetty joists are exposed, and there is a carved corner post with brattished top carrying a dragon beam. At the rear eaves of the front block is a large brick stack, and a small stack to the gable at the unction with the lower unit. There is a rendered plinth to the whole. The end unit, in 2 storeys, has at first floor a central pair of part-glazed doors flanked by 2-light casements. The ground floor has three 2-light casements with transom. To the left is a plank door under replacement peaked head. The return gable, with stack, is plain. The back has various additions. INTERIOR: the main front bar has an early C17 plastered ceiling with 3 rosettes, a dolphin, and a rosette in geometrical surround, also a plastered dragon-beam with a soffit of leaf and rosette. A central chamfered beam is unplastered. This room was heated, but the fireplace is now blocked. Behind the bar is a fine 2-plank door giving to the throughway. A winder stair backs the chimney breast; along the corridor, right, is a cellar access door under an iron-grilled transom-light. The cellar stairs are the normal 'Tewkesbury' type of brick with timber facing, and the cellar ceiling has been rebuilt. 2 middle rooms have chamfered transverse beams. The end room is at a lower level than the remainder. It has a very large chamfered transverse beam on curved brackets, heavy box framing, with very high plinth in the rear wall, and a C17 carved overmantel and surround to a stone fireplace with 4-centred arch on moulded and stopped jambs. The kitchen has a very broad chamfered beam. A recent straight-flight stair rises to the 2-bay room above the end section with a plain stone surround to the fire, a central queen-post truss and wind-bracing to each slope; the space is ceiled above collar height. The High Street front has 2 rooms, that to the right is larger, with 2 heavy chamfered spine beams, one of these very close to the back wall, and a blocked fireplace with chamfered and shaped wood bressumer on stone jambs. To the left of the stair is a lobby with exposed joists, and a former doorway with peaked head to the stair. Various heavy chamfered beams, and in the upper corridor one large jowelled post without tie or other head member. The inn is said to have been in existence by 1308, but probably existed before this, as it holds a vital position adjacent to King John's Bridge (qv). Most of the existing fabric seems to be original, with restoration work particularly to the High Street front. Internally floors have been replaced to the ground floor in part. The Black Bear is derived from the Beauchamp crest.
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Other Photos
Picture source: Hania Franek
Date of photo: 2023	Picture source: Helen Iwanczuk