Last orders for the old Peli?

The Market Tavern building, better known as The Peli is earmarked for possible demolition.

During the early 80s the ‘in pub’ in Stroud was The Vic at the bottom of Gloucester Street.

For some reason, probably due to change of owners its customers shifted to the Pelican, aka The Peli.

There was a room that led out to the beer garden where there was usually a DJ, the main bar with views out to Union Street and a lower bar that housed a pool table.

Playing pool was tricky, lots of people and a wall got in the way, but nobody really cared.

Getting a drink could take a while due to the sheer number of customers, especially at last orders.

The Market Tavern has been sitting empty and abandoned now for many years. It’s lower parts are wrapped in wooden hording thats become a canvas for the usual manic looking graffiti found all around the area.

So what’s to become of this once popular old pub?

Apparently plans are afoot to demolish it and build something else such retail units. Apparently Stroud isn’t a chocolate-box town and the old pub blocks an important view of Rodborough, so it’s of little significance and could be demolished.

It’s nonsense really as there’s a big multistory car park the other side of the road that blocks the view of Rodborough.

There’s also a lot of reported waffle about its position being the gateway to Stroud and it puts people off visiting. The chuggers up the high street and beggars are a bigger put off, but hey, marketing.

A suggested plan is to reuse some of the stone from the building for whatever monument to commerce gets built in its place.

If this gets the go ahead it will be interesting to see what the reaction is as I doubt some of the older Stroudies will sit back and watch it happen without some sort of protest.

It wouldn’t be the first time in these parts. Stroud had a rooftop protest up the high street during the 80s when there were plans to demolish the buildings numbered 57 to 62.

Nailsworth also had a rooftop protest before they pulled down the old George Hotel in 2001. The Stroud protest succeed and was the basis for the formation of The Stroud Preservation Society.

The Nailsworth one didn’t, so the old hotel got demolished.

So, one to add to the watch list.

I’ve had an email from Canada..

A message from somebody that lived in Stroud between 1945 and 1963 told me that the Pelican back then was the Union Hotel. Next door was a Restaurant called Flanagans.

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