Raising a glass to community spirit: the fight to save village pubs

Our country pubs are held up as microcosms of our society; those bastions of English equality where the squire rubs shoulders with the farmer. They are the beating heart of our rural communities, and they are under threat.

Just as they started to recover from the effects of closure during Covid they now face the rising costs of energy, food and drinks. When those pressures toll the death knell, the first vulture to circle is the developer, clutching a wad of cash and a planning application for change of use.

But the property opportunists and naysayers who have been foretelling the death of the great British pub are being held at bay - by the pub-users themselves; the country communities who are taking things into their own hands and buying their locals.

At the last count carried out by CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, there were 192 pubs owned by their communities across the UK.

CAMRA National Chairman Nik Antona said: “Most of these pubs had been written off by previous owners as unviable but are now thriving.”

Communities show Pennine grit

In that grand sweep of the north Pennines known as ‘the Dales’ there are two such communities attempting to raise funds through offering shares in ownership of community pubs.

The Farmer’s Arms at Muker in Swaledale started its campaign last October, and has the support of their Yorkshire constituency MP, one Rishi Sunak, while hot on their heels are the residents of Dent, just over the border in Cumbria, who are hoping to secure their ancient pub, The Sun Inn.

The Sun, first recorded in 1523, is an attraction for summer visitors who enjoy its real fires and wood floors. It sits at the centre of the scenic village’s designated Conservation Area, which has a cobbled main street.

The doom-mongers of social media who are quick to swoop on such online campaigns with their cry of ‘use it or lose it’ are the antipathy to the villagers who run these campaigns.

These campaigners do use their village pubs and find that often the cause of the demise of their favourite hostelry is the lack of drive and ambition of owners whose only response to a harsh trading environment is to throw in the bar towel.

In Dent, the locals have set up a working group and plan on raising money through a share offer, allowing investors to buy a stake in their Community Business Society, as well as applying for a Government grant.

Nik Antona added: “CAMRA fully support the residents of Dentdale in their efforts to save their beloved Sun Inn and in their mission turn it into a community run pub. Community saved pubs are great assets to any community – offering a unique community spirit to a town, village or area.”

He added that the community-owned model works because the pubs are run by local people for local people, providing the services they want and generating high levels of loyalty and commitment to their pub.

So, let’s raise a glass to these campaigners in our country communities and invest in a rural tradition: www.dentcommunitypub.co.uk