Belle of the Forest

It says something about the changing nature of the countryside and the changing nature of society that not so long ago there were half a dozen or more Foresters pubs around the area, including a Forester’s Pride and a Pride of the Forest, the latter, in Flora Street, not more than a mile away from the Belle of the Forest here in George Street, Stonehouse.
At that time there were about a dozen pubs in George Street, which was then one of the principal east/west routes through Stonehouse. Others included the White Horse, the Jolly Tar, Queen Town, Three Kings and St George’s.

By 1915, when the Belle of the Forest had its license refused, that number had dropped dramatically, as had the number of pubs in Stonehouse generally.

Licensees

1857 - James Matthews
1880 - H James
1885 - George Holmes
1890 - George Dalling
1895 - Wm Luscombe
1898 - F Bartlett
1907 - George Robertson