ROBERT Heaven’s Nostalgia mention of plans to convert The Nelson Inn in Gloucester Street into housing (Standard, September 20) is a reminder of the continuing decline in numbers of inns in the town, as everywhere else in UK.

Cirencester has lost half a dozen over the past decade alone, the latest being the Oddfellows in Chester Street and most recently the Waggon & Horses in London Road.

Readers can follow this story in more detail in our Archaeological & Historical Society’s Newsletter no 50, published in 2009 and available on its website at cirenhistory.org.uk/nl50cirenpubs.htm

Local researcher Philip Griffiths has done a great service in bringing lots of detail together in his Cirencester Pubs Through Time volume, published by Amberley in 2013 and still available.

Here you can find the now-vanished Bishop Blaize in Cricklade Street (closed 1962), Swan in West Market Place (closed 1969), and the Hope in Querns Lane (closed 1975).

More recent casualties include the White Lion, Queens Head and the Woodbine (all closed 2008) and the Royal Oak (2009).

Does anybody remember turning up for a last pint or two in any of those?

David Viner

Cirencester Archaeological & Historical Society

Cirencester