A small rural Devon village is celebrating the return of its only pub, which closed nearly eight years ago. Hope for the future of the thatched 17th century Barnstaple Inn in Burrington was almost lost when it was bought by a developer.
However, planning permission was refused for it to be turned into housing leaving it in limbo until it was snapped up by Anna Beard, who has a background in business and accounting. In around just seven weeks, the 44-year-old and her 18-year-old son Hamish have brought it back to life by carrying out extensive work on the building.
Its hugely welcomed reopening last Saturday, June 8, saw people queuing up the road to get in and more than 200 people flocked through its doors during the evening. It is now aiming to become a much-needed community hub in the village near Chumleigh for many more years to come.
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Anna said: "We have had so much support from the locals since we arrived in April. The opening night was crazy but amazing. We opened an hour behind schedule because we had a disaster in the ladies toilets. A toilet came away from the wall being an old building so we had to call out a plumber.
"When we were able to open the doors I gave a thank you speech and was given a big round of applause. A lot of people who live in the village meet people they never have before who also live there and have already started making friendships and told us this is why the pub is needed.
"There used to be two pubs in the village but this is the only one left but it has been closed for nearly eight years. Its name came from being on the main road from Barnstaple through to London.
"People keep thanking us for bringing the pub back. It has meant a lot to people.
"It was very exciting but also nerve-wracking to reopen it as it had been shut for so long but we couldn't be more delighted with how it has gone so far. We thank everyone for their support and all those who have helped us along the way."
The pub shut after the landlord passed away in March 2016 leaving just his wife in charge. It was put on the market for £260,000 in 2018 and was described as an 'investment' opportunity for someone to return it to its former glory.
According to Anna, it was eventually sold at auction by a developer who wanted to split it into accommodation but when the plans were refused the property remained empty until she bought it.
The first big task was to clear it of all the previous owner's belongings before work could begin on bringing it back to life which included replastering, renewing the plumbing and electrics and giving it a makeover.
Anna has previously worked at The Manor House Hotel, now known as Bovey Castle, and has most recently lived in Cornwall for 10 years managing holiday properties and running her own Airbnb property.
She has now relocated to Devon to pursue her dream of owning and running a pub and to create a future for her son in the trade.
Anna said: "I have always wanted to have a pub. People would think I'm mad and why would I want to work all those hours, but when we came to the village it was absolutely amazing. Everyone was so friendly so it was definitely the right choice to do it here.
"We fell in love with the character of the pub. It's a thatched property with beamed ceilings and big fireplaces. It needed a lot of work but we could see it had a lot of potential.
"We still have a long way to go with its restoration but that will be done behind the scenes. It's a traditional country pub with a community spirit. We will be serving good traditional pub food of good quality."
The previous owners did not serve food but that will soon change. It will begin serving food from July 1, following a major modernisation of the kitchen.
This Saturday, June 15, it will be hosting live music in the evening with the entertainment being provided by a band based in the village. It will continue to put on regular live music events as well as quizzes and will be available as a meeting place for groups such as a local book club.
It is also hoping to establish a darts and pool team, and the skittle alley will be reopened if there is demand for it.
Anna said: "We want to do lots of things to make it a hub for the community."
The pub is currently open seven days a week to gauge how busy it is and may be reduced depending on customer demand. Food will be served at lunchtime between 11am and 2pm and in the evenings from 5pm to 8.30pm.
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