The Air Balloon: Demolished 230 Year Old Cotswold Pub
This much loved 230 year old Cotswold pub, The Air Balloon, was demolished for road upgrades.
Located in the village of Birdlip in Gloucestershire, it was originally two ale houses and provided for the needs of the travellers before the days of licensing.
The pub was open from the late 18th century to 2022, when it closed as part of road improvements, and was subsequently demolished.
It first welcomed visitors in 1784, and it was likely named after one of the first British balloon flights.
On September 2 of that year, Edward Jenner launched a small hydrogen balloon from Berkeley Castle, which traveled to Kingscote and eventually landed in a field near Birdlip.
This event occurred a year after the groundbreaking flights by the Montgolfier brothers with their hot air balloon and Jacques Charles with his hydrogen balloon in Paris.
By 1796, the pub was known as the Balloon, and in 1802 it was renamed the Air Balloon.
By 1856, the landlord was brewing beer on-site. The property was part of the Cowley Manor estate until the early 20th century.
Demolishing a historic gem
The pub faced the threat of demolition due to its location next to a short section of single-carriageway road that was part of an otherwise high-quality route between the M4 and M5 motorways.
Although the junction was notorious as an accident blackspot, National Highways reported that from 1999 to 2014, there were about 340 casualties on the entire section of the road, which was below the average for similar roads.
In March 2019, Highways England proposed improvements that included demolishing the pub, citing that the local geography and steep hills made it impossible to construct a modern, safe road without doing so.
Relocating the road elsewhere was not feasible, as it would cut through Barrow Wake, a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Highways England stated it would consult with landowners and assess the social impact of the pub’s demolition during a further design stage.
In 2021, the pub remained open but was expected to be demolished. In December 2022, the landlord announced that the pub would close on New Year’s Eve and then be demolished.
The widow of actor John Challis expressed sadness over the pub’s closure, mentioning that she and her late husband frequently visited the pub.
A spokesperson for Highways England expressed surprise at the pub’s closure, suggesting it could have remained open longer.
There were additional concerns that the now-closed landmark might become a target for vandalism.
The pub was demolished in December 2023 as part of the construction work.
Reacting to the demolition on social media, someone said: “Such a shame it's gone. Used to pass it many times when travelling between south coast & north staffs.
”Also always stopped at the nearby amazing viewpoint.”
Another person added: “Sadly this is the way this country is going. The bigger the population the more housing. Won’t be long before England will be a concrete jungle!
”We are only a small island that everyone wants to live in, but don’t want to respect. It’s so sad the state it’s getting into.”
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