|
The Berkeley Arms Tewkesbury 8 Church Street Tewkesbury, GL20 5PA Phone: 01684 290555 Location Map or Food Menu or What's On Corona Virus: we remain open. To help keep customers safe we are applying strict hygiene practices including wiping down and sanitizing of surfaces on a regular basis. We are following all the Government Public Health England guidelines. We ask all to respect their fellow customers and follow the Government guidance, including: to stay home if there is any sign of possibly being unwell and Catch It, Bin it, Kill it. We can supply take out Beers and Snacks which can be picked up on a no contact basis if required. Please telephone to order. New hosts Ron & Trish and Sue are keen to give you the warmest welcome, they love the 11th century history of the Berkeley and the heritage of the town. An open log fire typically greets you on colder days. Beer, cider and wine tick all the boxes. Historically The Berkeley Arms has won Cask Marque accreditation for 4 years and in Camra's Good Beer Guides for 2 years, both reflecting high quality. 2020's accreditations are currently being assessed. 
The ancient stone cellars provide an ideal cool environment for keeping beers and ciders. See cellar photos much further down.
Trish's Scrumptious Cake and a variety of Coffees are available. Other Hot and Cold Food options are available, please ask. The original food menu (see menu button above) is not currently available while the kitchen undergoes a major refit. In 2018 the Berkeley won finest Pub in the land, 'Best of the Best' award within the Wadworth group (awarded to former Landlord Laurence). 
The Berkeley has also been voted the best dressed building during 'Tewkesbury in Bloom', held July to August each year.
Over recent years the Berkeley Arms has been updated to reflect it's 11th century medieval heritage. This is well worth a visit just for the atmosphere. The Berkeley Arms is famous for traditional high quality Sunday Lunches, which will return in due course along with plans to develop further the Berkeley's great reputation for food. Food will be made like many people's grandmothers did long ago with fresh ingredients including homemade shortcrust pastry. A welcome change from mass produced heat and serve meals so common these days. An updated food menu follows in due course. See the Food Menu button above for the previous choices (not currently available). Car Parking is provided a short walk away, please look for car park signs near the The Berkeley Arms Tewkesbury or click the button above to view the Location Map. 
Dog Friendly like many other shops, pubs and cafes in Tewkesbury.
The Berkeley Arms is a Grade II listed building. There have been many improvements to the premises over at least 800 years, the surviving oldest substantial part being an 11th century barn, now a medieval style dinning area. 
The cellar walls still contain some very old stone, thought to be 11th Century or older. There is evidence to suggest an ancient stone spiral staircase existed. Another 'Stairs to No Where' (see photo below) dates back to the time of this ancient stonework and a now lost part of the building. 
Many of the oak beams have been hand split ('Riving' - the viking method) and in parts Pit Sawn by hand (a method going back to Roman times). 
Today the old stone cellars are ideal for keeping Beer and Ciders at the Correct temperature. 
The very substantial main chimney supports many timbers of the newer front part of the premisses, suggesting alteration works around 1550. Before the 1850's the Berkeley Arms was known as the 'Queen's Arms', however the former landlord 'Sam Pearse' was made bankrupt in 1843. He had borrowed £2,000 against the pub, much more than it's value at the time. No mention of the 'Queen's Arms' appears thereafter, but in 1849 a tenant called Hathaway occupies the premises. Licence records show he was registered as the Landlord of the 'Berkeley Arms' in 1869. 
With the increase in cycle touring in the 1930's, the Berkeley Arms became an 'Offical Stop-over' for the British Cyclists' Touring Club in the days of 'cloth caps' and arty 'silk mufflers'.
In the 1960's a string of here today gone tomorrow tenants led to a decline in trade, the Berkeley Arms almost closed. This quickly achieved what Temperance Movements had failed to do over many decades. Around 1969 a new floor was put down in the bar, to do so workmen had to remove 7 layers of old floor going way back in time, no archaeological Time Team in those days. The Berkeley Arm's fortunes were restored by Philip and Ruby Jones over their combined 23 year tenancy beginning in 1969. In the 1980's an old sealed up back room was opened, the floor was covered in a deep layer of old 19th century books. These may relate to a clearing of cupboards and discovery in 1896 of various deeds, wills and other documents relating to the 'Queen's Arms' and a former town inn called the 'Quart Pot' (pulled down in 1837). |