Pubs have traditionally been at the heart of their local community, providing a place where people can come together to spend quality time – from a Sunday roast with the family, a competitive quiz night, watching the match with your mates, or even a romantic date night.
In the Stroud district, they're doing even more than that, with local pubs hosting everything from live music to yoga classes for their communities. In this hot list, SoGlos champions the pubs in and around Stroud that do so much more than pull pints – because supporting your local has never been more important.
The Carpenters Arms in Westrip
As well as being an award-winning cider pub with some of the most spectacular beer garden views in the Stroud district, The Carpenters Arms also has lots of welcoming community activities to enjoy.
It hosts monthly jam nights and paint and sip sessions; as well as community Tuesdays with sausage and mash for just £10 from 6pm; Wellie Wednesdays with unlimited soup and a crusty roll for only £7 per person, ideal for warming up after a morning walk; weekly Passport and Pint street food nights with a different country in the spotlight every Thursday; and cheese board and game nights every Sunday. And it's dog-friendly, too!
The Ship Inn in Brimscombe
Much-loved pub, The Ship Inn, has been central to the community in Brimscombe for decades, serving up local beers and hearty food, with a prix fixe menu that changes every week costing £20 for two courses or £25 for three.
This traditional pub also hosts monthly charity dinners with a pay what you can price tag, with proceeds going towards local causes – and an annual food, drink and music festival to bring the community together for a fun-filled weekend every summer.
The Prince Albert in Stroud
The Prince Albert in Stroud is as much a grassroots music venue as it is a pub. A haven for folk music and singer-songwriters, it hosts family and dog-friendly matinee shows during the day, as well as evening shows and open mics.
And while it's got a fantastic reputation for music, that's not all it hosts, with a monthly quiz night, beer festivals and live sports screenings, too.
The Woolpack in Slad
Perhaps most famous for being iconic English author Laurie Lee's local, The Woolpack sits within the heart of the Slad Valley and is the ideal place to head to after a stroll around the picturesque, five-mile Laurie Lee Way walking trail nearby.
As well as its historic connections, The Woolpack also has a fantastic reputation for its locally sourced food, with meat from suppliers within 14 miles of the pub; fruit and veg from local folks' allotments and veg patches; with fresh fish and seafood brought in every day from Looe in Cornwall.
Foston's Ash Inn at The Camp
Located near The Camp, just outside Painswick, the independently owned Foston's Ash Inn prides itself on serving up the very best local food and drinks in the warm, cosy surroundings of this 1800s coachhouse.
Think roaring log fires, cask ales, seasonal cocktails and a food menu that celebrates local market produce and small-scale farms – including its unique Gloucestershire fried pheasant! It offers 50 per cent off bar snacks during happy hour from 5pm to 6pm every Wednesday to Friday, too.
The Old Spot Inn in Dursley
Nestled at the foot of Stinchcombe Hill in Dursley is the award-winning Old Spot Inn. A popular spot with Cotswold Way walkers, it was named CAMRA and The Telegraph's Gloucestershire Pub of the Year 2024.
Local beer lovers are spoiled for choice with its selection of local brews and cask ales, which includes its own vegan pale ale brewed by New Bristol Brewery. It also hosts its own beer festivals with live music and guest brews, too.
The Vine Tree in Randwick
With a kitchen run by the Cotswolds Chef of the Year 2025, The Vine Tree Inn is well worth a trip for foodies. Known for its indulgent puddings, its daily-changing menu is packed with fresh, local produce with a carefully curated selection of local beers and wines to pair with it.
The Vine Tree is a perfect pit stop for ramblers, with the Cotswold Way passing through Randwick, offering panoramic views of the countryside. It also hosts quizzes for local charities, too.
The Old Fox at Coaley
The 300-year-old Old Fox at Coaley has been serving its community since the 1700s. Surrounded by a patchwork of footpaths, the pub welcomes walkers, cyclists and four-legged friends, muddy boots and all!
It offers a menu of cracking pub grub that includes pie of the day, beer battered fish and chips and steak – and hosts live sports screenings, quiz nights, craft workshops and seasonal events, like Burns Night and its very own sausage and cider festival.
The Black Horse in Cranham
Community-owned pub, The Black Horse in Cranham, is another of the Stroud district's watering holes that dates back to the 17th century. Purchased by locals in 2023, the pub underwent an extensive refurbishment to modernise it, while maintaining and preserving its original features as a kind of 'living museum'.
Embodying this sense of community spirit, it hosts regular community nights where its neighbours can come together for a catch up over 'good, honest food' and a drink or two.
The Retreat in Stroud
One of Stroud town centre's best-loved bars, The Retreat offers casual, bistro-style dining by day and a fun place to let your hair down with DJ sets and dancing by night.
The Retreat also hosts its own book club, with regular Tuesday night meetings to come together and discuss the latest read with fellow local bookworms.
The Salutation Inn in Ham
With its name practically meaning 'welcome', it's no surprise that The Salutation Inn in Ham – affectionately known as The Sally by locals – is an inviting place. It hosts a regular pub quiz, cheese club, folk music jam session and even its own angling club.
The Sally is extremely passionate about local produce, too, with beer made by its own brewery, cider made from local apples and its 'ham from Ham' project that put meat from its own pigs on the plate of its legendary ham, egg and chips.
The Ship Inn in Framilode
Family-run free house, The Ship Inn, sits on the banks of a secret stretch of canal in Upper Framilode and boasts an idyllic beer garden.
The Ship also has its own loyalty card scheme to reward its regulars on each visit, awarding points for every meal purchased.
The Village Inn in Kingswood
The Village Inn in Kingswood, near Wotton-under-Edge, is a vibrant little local that offers charity quizzes, live music, drag nights, karaoke, bingo, poker, darts, pétanque and even has its own golf society.
Family and dog-friendly, it also has its own, in-house pizza to eat in or take away every Friday night and regularly invites local guest chefs to take over its kitchen, too.
The Ram Inn in Woodchester
With regular street food pop-ups, quizzes, live music and even a knitting night, The Ram is a popular community pub in South Woodchester. Its bar is stocked with locally made beers and spirits, while its kitchen serves up everything from pizzas to pies – and it's dog and horse-friendly!
The Ram even has its own festival, Ramfest, every year, hosted in its enviable beer garden.
Stroud Brewery
While it's not strictly a pub, Stroud Brewery's canalside taproom is much more than just a place to go for a pint, it's a thriving community hub offering everything from regular quiz nights and folk music jams, to yoga and Pilates classes; craft workshops; Forro dancing; kids lego club; knitting group; and social tables for over 60s, parents and neurodivergent adults.
On top of that, its beer is all organic, its food is all locally sourced and there's a fantastic vegan menu, too.
