The Griffin, Bridgeyate

Image: © Neil Owen Taken: 21 Mar 2017

Today a modern eatery and watering hole on the A420, but in earlier times The Griffin was a notorious venue. Built in the late seventeenth century, it was well placed on the old coaching routes to London. However, by the end of the eighteenth century, a violent and troublesome gang of men from Kingswood's Cock Road area terrorised the area. Made mainly of rough colliers and rogues, the gang frequently indulged in robbery, assaults, counterfeiting, protection racketeering, livestock rustling and many other crimes. The gang consisted of a number of families with contacts around the whole of the South West and were the source of much fear for decades until the authorities finally extinguished the problem. Many of the gang were either transported or hanged. Indeed, one Benjamin Cains was hanged in September, 1870; before burial his coffin was opened and paraded for public viewing at 2d a go. The pub these days is happily much nicer and welcoming.

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