The Air Balloon

The Air Balloon was a traditional country pub and landmark situated at a roundabout junction on the A417 in Birdlip, Gloucestershire, England. It opened in 1784 and is believed to have been named after one of the earliest British balloon flights: Edward Jenner's launch of a small hydrogen balloon on 2 September 1784, which flew from Berkeley Castle to Kingscote and then to a field near Birdlip. The pub was known as the Balloon by 1796 and was renamed the Air Balloon in 1802. By 1856, the landlord was brewing beer on-site. The premises were part of the Cowley Manor estate until the early 20th century. In 2004, the pub was bought by Greene King, a major British pub company and brewer, and it later operated as part of the Chef & Brewer Collection of around 150 countryside pubs. The pub offered a menu of burgers, steaks, vegetarian dishes, pub classics and a lunchtime carvery, and was a well-known stopping point on the A417 between Swindon and Gloucester. The junction where it stood was a significant congestion point and had been described as a notorious accident blackspot. In March 2019, Highways England proposed improvements to the A417 that included demolition of the pub, stating that the local geography and steep hills made it otherwise impossible to build a high-quality road meeting modern safety standards. The road could not be routed elsewhere as it would cut through Barrow Wake, a Site of Special Scientific Interest. As of June 2021, the pub was still open but expected to be demolished. In December 2022, the landlord announced that the pub would close on New Year's Eve, and it closed in 2022. The premises were demolished in December 2023 as part of the construction work. The closure drew attention, including from the widow of actor John Challis, who said the couple used to visit the pub regularly. A spokesperson for Highways England expressed surprise at the closure, saying it could have stayed open longer. There were also concerns that the now-closed prominent landmark could become a magnet for vandalism. The Air Balloon was more than a pub; it was a local landmark with a history spanning over two centuries, and its loss was felt by the community and passing travellers alike.

The Air Balloon opened in 1784 and was probably named after one of the first British balloon flights: the launching of a small hydrogen balloon by Edward Jenner on 2 September of that year, which flew from Berkeley Castle to Kingscote and then on to a field near Birdlip. This was the year after the pioneering flights of the Montgolfier brothers' hot air balloon and Jacques Charles's hydrogen balloon in Paris. It was known as the Balloon by 1796 and renamed the Air Balloon in 1802. By 1856, the landlord was brewing beer on-site. The premises were part of the Cowley Manor estate until some time early in the 20th century. The pub was bought by Greene King in 2004. In 2020 the menu included burgers, steaks, vegetarian food, "pub classics" and a lunchtime carvery. The pub was under threat of demolition as it sat alongside a short section of single-carriageway road which is otherwise a high-quality route between the M4 and M5 motorways. Although the junction has been said to be a notorious accident blackspot, from 1999 to 2014 there were an estimated 340 casualties along the whole section of road, which National Highways said was below average for the type of road. In March 2019, Highways England proposed improvements that would include demolition of the pub, stating that the local geography and steep hills made it otherwise impossible to build a high-quality road meeting modern safety standards. The road could not be routed elsewhere as it would cut through Barrow Wake, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Highways England stated that it would consult landowners and assess the social impact of the pub's demolition in a further design stage. As of June 2021, the pub was open, but was expected to be demolished. The landlord subsequently announced in December 2022 that the pub would close on New Year's Eve, and then it would be demolished. Actor John Challis' widow said the couple used to visit the pub regularly, and she was sad to see it close. A spokesperson for Highways England expressed surprise at the pub's closure, saying it could have stayed open longer. There were additional concerns that a now-closed prominent landmark could become a magnet for vandalism. The premises were demolished in December 2023 as part of the construction work.

• 2023

  Premises demolished in December as part of construction work.

• 2022

  Pub closed on New Year's Eve.

• 2019

  Highways England proposed improvements including demolition of the pub.

• 2004

  Bought by Greene King.

• 1856

  Landlord brewing beer on-site.

• 1802

  Renamed the Air Balloon.

• 1796

  Known as the Balloon.

• 1784

  The pub opened, probably named after Edward Jenner's balloon flight.

A traditional British country pub within the Chef & Brewer Collection, known for its historic character and roadside location.

• Burgers

• Steaks

• Vegetarian food

• Pub classics

• Lunchtime carvery

1. 1The Best Country Pubs | Chef & Brewerchefandbrewer.com
2. 2About Chef and Brewer | Countryside Pubs | Chef & Brewerchefandbrewer.com
3. 3The Air Balloon - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4The Air Balloon, Birdlip - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org