Click on the photographs to read about some of The Daneway’s history....
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It was a wealthy Stroud bookmaker who took over in 1955. He owned a racehorse called Daneway and, when the nag successfully romped home, he had the sign repainted in its honour and the pub renamed. Much of the pub is still reminiscent of this West Country turf accountant, including a floor-to-ceiling carved wooden fireplace that he bagged from a manor house near Stroud and a less interesting, noisy lounge carpet that could have been cut from one of his suits.
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Elizabeth and Richard, the present landlords, moved to the Daneway Inn as managers in 1986, taking over the licence in 1997 when the then owners retired, selling the pub to Wadworth & Co Ltd. This makes them the longest serving landlord and landlady in the district.
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In 1955 the pub was bought from the Simonds brewery and became a privately-owned free house. It was then that the magnificent carved wooden fire surround was introduced into what has now become the Lounge Bar, replacing a large Yorkshire range. This piece of furniture was “obtained” from a large house, in or near Stroud, that had been demolished.
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Gradually, over time, the pub has changed and expanded through the rest of the building, first taking over the middle cottage of the three, which then became the original lounge bar, flowery wallpaper and all, then moving into the last cottage, the largest of them, which had been in its time stabling, cowshed and then private dwelling.
The original Lounge Bar
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Like many old traditional public houses, bars and inns, the Daneway has a fascinating history. It was originally built in 1784 as three cottages to house the navvies who constructed the now derelict Thames and Severn Canal and the building has evolved over the intervening years into what is now a very popular and busy destination pub.
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Situated in the beautiful, wooded Sapperton Valley, The Daneway stands next to the summit lock of the Thames and Severn canal. Surrounded by three nature reserves, this is an ideal point from which to explore the local countryside. Whichever direction you take from The Daneway, the choice of walks is varied and ever changing with the seasons.
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The pub itself appears in numerous local and national guide books, “The Good this” and “The Good that” etc, and has appeared regularly in the beer drinker's Bible, The Good Beer Guide until, recently.(Perhaps Richard might have upset someone!) It has also featured in various TV productions, notably The House of Elliott (BBC 1), Between Two Rivers and Particular Pubs (both HTV).
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In 1807 the western-most cottage became The Bricklayers Arms, named in honour of the men who lined the locks of the canal and the interior of the nearby 2¼ mile Sapperton Tunnel, with bricks transported, by barge, from Stroud. This cottage is now the present Public Bar.
The Public Bar
The remaining two cottages were used as lodgings by the men who guided the barges through the tunnel, there being no towpath along which horses or donkeys would normally walk. These men were known as leggers from the practice of lying on their backs on boards sticking out from the sides of the barges and legging or walking the barges along the sides of the tunnel.
And... beware of the ‘Grey Lady’, who is seen to come through the nearby canal bridge!
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Telephone us on 01285 760297 Email us at info@thedaneway.com