A plaque, shaped in the form of an old fashioned scroll, is located at the entrance to the New Inn. It tells us:
The New Inn's Permanent Guests!
It was at the New Inn in 1553 that Lady Jane Grey heard the news that would lead to her untimely death.
She was manipulated by the Duke of Northumberland who had ambitions to rule the country through her. He arranged a marriage for her to his son and persuaded the 12 year old Edward VI, who was dying of tuberculosis, to sign a will bequeathing the crown to her.
The young king soon died and it was from the gallery of the New Inn that Lady Jane was provlaimed the new Queen.
It was not long before her cause was weakened as support for her rival, Mary, escalated throughout the land.
In 1554, Mary, now Queen of England, reluctantly passed sentence on her rival and Lady Jane and her husband were beheaded in the Tower of London.
From that century to modern times, there have been many reported sightings of ghostly figures around the premises along with reports of glasses and bottles being moved. They are believed to be the work of a restless spirit.
The New Inn has been described as the finest example of a medieval galleried Inn to be seen in Britain today. With its richly carved detail, it is a must for history seekers visiting Gloucester.
A Brief History
The New Inn was originally built as a Pilgrims Inn to house visitors to the shrine of King Edward II in St Peter's Abbey. Rebuilt in 1455 it was hugely popular throughout the Middle Ages with a vast retinue of knights, yeomen and gentlemen lodging due to the popularity of holidays in Gloucester at this time.
Various changes through the years have included two small shops opening into Northgate Street, two square stone flagged courtyards and a gilded lion grasping a serpent (symbolising the triumph of good over evil).
In the 16th century srtolling minstrels were popular and plays were staged in the courtyard - it is said that William Shakespeare once appeared there. The inn boasted the city's first tennis court during Tudor times and in the 18th century was noted as a venue for the unusual and bizarre. New additions to the building were added around this time - a brewhouse and malthouse.
In 1858 the inn was bought freehold by the Berry family who owned it until 1942.
The Inn is Grade I listed with the entry at the English Heritage website telling us:
Inn, now hotel, restaurant (No.16), and two shops (Nos 18 & 20). Mid C15 with many later alterations and minor additions. By J Twining. Massive timber frame of oak, not chestnut as recorded earlier, with rendered panels including some original lathe and plaster nogging, brick partly rendered; brick stacks, plain tile roof on north range, otherwise gabled and hipped slate roofs.
PLAN: a large, rectangular building of four ranges enclosing a courtyard entered from Northgate Street through a carriage way in the west range; within the courtyard open galleries providing access to chambers (originally 7.9m x 4.7-5.9m, since subdivided) on each of the upper floors of the four ranges, underbuilt at ground-floor level; facing Northgate Street on the north side of the carriage way the two shops and on the south side the restaurant; a cross-gabled wing projects from the south end of the east range, an enclosed yard at rear of the main building is entered from the main courtyard through a carriage way at the south end of the east range. Pantin considers that the hall and adjacent kitchen were probably sited in the south range, stabling to rear and parlour in centre of north range.
EXTERIOR: all the ranges enclosing the main courtyard of three storeys and attics; the front of the west range facing Northgate Street originally of seven framed bays with continuous jetties to the upper floors; in late C18 the front above inserted shop-fronts remodelled as a rendered facade with sash windows, the front further altered in 1924 by the addition of boards imitating timber storey posts supporting a plate at eaves level with a parapet of small panel framing above; the north bay was restored to its original jettied form in 1924; on the ground floor C20 shop-fronts to left and restaurant front to right of carriageway; at north-west corner an original, richly decorated dragon post carved with a niche containing the mutilated figure of an angel under a pinnacled canopy, and with panels of Perpendicular tracery, supports carved brackets below the dragon beam; the former first floor jetty to the right-hand side of the carriageway is supported by a gilded bracket with leaves carved in the spandrel on the exposed left-hand side of the bracket; at first-floor level the jetty of the restored bay is concealed by projecting shop-front; the first floor dragon post, carved with Perpendicular panels, supports moulded bracket to dragon beam in the jetty with moulded bressumer at second-floor level; on both upper floors restored intermediate rails with close studding below and C20 three-light, timber-framed, casements with upper transoms and leaded lights above; to right of the restored bay, in the second bay on the first floor a late C18 large tripartite sash window with glazing bars (3x4 panes and 1x4 in the side-lights); otherwise in all bays on both floors sashes with glazing bars (on first floor 3x4 panes, on second floor 3x3 panes); in New Inn Lane the north return elevation is jettied at both upper-floor levels with moulded bressumers supporting bay posts and in most bays intermediate rails with close studding; the east front of the east range originally jettied on both upper floors now altered in part. Within the courtyard is a continuous gallery at first-floor level on all sides, with evidence for wooden mullioned windows with traceried heads; reached by an external flight of stairs originally in another position and rebuilt in the north-east corner in the C19; on the east side on the ground floor a carriage way to right leading to the rear courtyard and to left a large tripartite window with glazing bars; the plain front of the balustrade to the gallery is inscribed "NEW INN" in lettering which replaces C19 original; above the balustrade is an arcade of six bays, probably the original timber posts encased or replaced in late C18 as piers with impost moulding, and with segmental arches; the second floor extends over the gallery with a pair of linked cross gables above projecting from the lateral roof over the east range, the gables have plain timber barge boards and knopped finials; on the second floor below each gable a sash with glazing bars (4x4 panes); on the north side the walls and gallery parapets are rendered; on the ground-floor later door and window opening; in the open gallery at first-floor level and in a gallery at second-floor level the original posts are partly concealed by the parapets above; on the south side the jettied first floor is underbuilt at the east end with a projecting porch with glazed door and windows with glazing bars; the gallery above, similar to the gallery on the north side on the west side, has wide boxed eaves, possibly the encased jetty of a former upper storey; on the east side the carriage way leading to Northgate Street is framed by a pair of massive, moulded timber posts rising to the underside of the second-floor jetty with an arched brace to either side supporting the jetty; above the carriage way lintel beam is an early infill wall of close stud framing with an inserted C18 sash with glazing bars (3x4 panes); on the second floor exposed framing, probably a later remodelling, with two inserted C18 sashes with glazing bars (3x4 panes).
INTERIOR: timber-framed walls, posts and beams are exposed throughout the building; in roofs to each range except for two central bays in the west range, in the north and east ranges are closed trusses with diminishing principal rafters with upper and lower collar ties clasping upper and lower purlins an unusual example in a more south-eastern carpentry tradition, three vertical struts between the principal beam and the lower collar and two vertical struts, between the lower and the upper collars; between the two central bays in the west range above the carriage way an open truss with run-out chamfers to the principal rafters, collars and purlins indicating the former existence of an upper hall or chamber; no evidence of other features of interest noted in those parts of the building inspected. Panelling in a suite on the first floor installed in the C20.
HISTORY: originally a large hostelry built for the former Benedictine Abbey of St Peter by John Twyning, a monk of the abbey, on the site of an earlier inn. At the dissolution of the abbey the inn passed to the Dean and Chapter of Gloucester Cathedral and leased to various inn holders until sold in 1858. The building is the most complete surviving example of a medieval courtyard inn with galleries. The tradition that the inn was built to provide lodgings for pilgrims to the tomb of Edward II was not recorded before the C18.