Littledean - Pubs (Broad Street) - William EDGE (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Tuesday, October 23, 2012, 19:57 (4416 days ago) @ m p griffiths

The Glos Pubs site is great for pub history, altho can take a while to find your target
http://www.gloucestershirepubs.co.uk/AllGlosPubsDatabase/AllGlosPubs_view.php

Sadly cannot give a direct link but search "Cross Keys" (but not "Cross Keys Littledean" !?) and then please leaf thro the various and possibly many pages. This website apears to be the newer version of the old Easywell site (which sadly now seems defunct as was easier to copy from etc) sorry I cannot from this new site.

I think the info is gleaned from old Trade Directories and Licensee Registers, in this instance it shows "William Edge @ 1837". You may like to also seen the current thread re Redbrook's Boat Inn for some suggested pubs & landlords websites.
http://www.forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?mode=thread&id=38801#p38816.

The excellent book "Pubs of the FoD" by Heather Hurley contains several pages of history and old photos re Littledean and its nine old pubs, altho sadly the Cross Keys has very scant info indeed (all is on the above website entry). I'll read my copy later and hopefully post wrt any mention of William Edge & Richard Newman(UPDATE, sorry no mention), if you have access to local librairies they hold copies.

This book has a map showing that most of these nine pubs are in Broad Street, starting the Church end of town (toward Gloster/Westbury) the Cross Keys, White Lion, Red Lion, Kings Head, Belfry(ex George/Golden Heart), and finally Littledean Guest House at the start of the Hill upto Cinderford. Of these only the Belfry and recently renovated Guest House are still trading, the Kings Head closed a few years back.
Re the Cross Keys the book states
"South west of the Cross, a former inn was known as the Cross Keys in 1739, and was the meeting place of a Friendly Society in 1813. During the mid C19th it was kept by Henry Clift then Hannah Parsons who may have served as the last landlady". The book has a recent photo of it, a plain but not unattractive mid-terrace "house" with central door onto the roadside pavement.

PS I have just abt managed to find the above house using Google Streetmap, albeit more by luck than judgement (I can drive a bus, but this website ?...). The house is still resplendent in its traditional local red sandstone, between two others in a short terrace. This terrace is at the very beginning of Broad Street as you turn right thro the miniroundabout if driving from the Church/Flaxley end of the village. The terrace is on your left hand side, the Cross Keys has a black door & storm porch, and a large sandstone relief plaque set into the wall above the central door, sorry I cannot see this plaque in detail.