Fountain Inn

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Fountain Inn

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The Fountain claims to be one of the oldest known sites connected with the brewing trade in Gloucester.

It was owned by Peter Poitevin in the time of Henry III, who was probably the bishop who crowned the young king at St Peter’s Abbey (now the Cathedral) in 1216.

It was almost certainly an inn by the early fourteenth century. The name dates from around 1672, named after Trinity Well, the water source located nearby in Westgate Street.

The pub was once used by Jacobite rebels who held clandestine meetings in the upstairs room. The story goes that William of Orange rode his horse up to the Jacobites meeting room to show his contempt for their cause.

The legend is enshrined in a plaque overlooking the courtyard with the motto: 'Dieu defend le droit. GVLIELMVS III.