HOW OUR PUB, THE NEW INN AT YEALAND LOOKED UNTIL QUITE RECENTLY...
This view of the New Inn, with its characteristic covering of Virginia creeper was painted by Yealand artist Peter Threlfall. It's a great painting of a smashing pub. Watch this space if you'd like to own the picture, because Pete has donated the original to help save the pub. More details on this and upcoming events in a week or so.
For years the New Inn has been a star attraction at the heart of the loveliest three villages in North Lancashire: Yealand Conyers, Yealand Redmayne and Yealand Storrs. It is a listed building and parts date back to the 1680's. The pub has been a hub of the community with locals popping in for a snack and evening pint and customers from much further afield beating a path to what was a prize-winning dining pub.
Over the past quarter century its owners, the Stockport-based brewery Robinsons and their tenants have basked in the pub's reputation as a small but fine English hostelry. They talked about converting the barn next door into a restaurant...or perhaps a cafe with bed and breakfast rooms upstairs. But the investment never came.
And today the pub presents a sadder and shabbier face to the world.
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| CLOSED "FOR REFURBISHMENT" |
Saddest of all, it has been closed for eight months.
So what happened?
The New Inn lost its long-time tenants and the brewery replaced them with people who seemed to lack experience. They in turn were replaced by a series of short-term managers supplied by an agency.
The food was poor and the beer was ... well, the beer was Robinsons, which has been a problem for local real-ale enthusiasts for a long time. Trade declined. But some loyal locals kept the faith, because Robinsons seemed to have a plan: they were going to refurbish the pub and then reopen with new tenants.
This is what the Managing Director of their pub division, Mr William Robinson told me in November 2014 in reply to a series of emailed questions:
AD: Is Robinson's planning to refurbish the pub?
WR: Yes we are looking to refurbish the pub in a sensitive manner given its historic nature.
AD: How long is it expected to remain closed?
WR: We have yet to determine the period of closure, but hope that the pub will re-open before the middle of next year. It is dependent on any consents we might require for work to the building (we are intending to decorate the exterior to lift the building).
AD: If and when it reopens will it remain under Robinson's ownership, or might it be sold as a pub?
WR: Yes, we intend to retain ownership of the pub.
AD: is there any danger that the New Inn will cease to operate as a public house?
WR: We very much hope not, this is not our plan. Clearly once re-furbished, it will rely on customers on-going patronage to ensure its long-term survival. But we are positive.
Today, eight months later the pub is still closed and the brewery has changed its tune.
On July 8th a new email from the brewery's Estates Manager, Suzanne O'Sullivan announced:
"Our company intend to place the property on the market for sale and are currently seeking to appoint a local agent."
Faced with the very real threat of losing the pub that has served the Yealands for well over 200 years, 60 villagers -- and counting -- have banded together to form the Friends of the New Inn (FOTNI).
"We are determined that the brewery will not shut-down our pub," Friends of the New Inn
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| Yealand Folk Arrive at their Village Hall to plan a campaign to save The New Inn The meeting attracted residents and pub regulars from all three Yealands: Yealand Storrs, Yealand Redmayne and Yealand Conyers. |
FOTNI was formed to monitor the sale and to oppose any move to change the use of the pub, its adjacent barn and car park.
The fear is that Robinsons will apply for planning permission to allow them to shut the pub permanently, convert the barn to housing and build new houses in the car park.
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| Yealand Conyers Parish Council Chair Dawn Hancock (third from left) with other Friends of the New Inn...gearing up for the campaign. |
The message from the meeting was loud and clear:
We want to keep the New Inn operating as a pub.
Asset of Community Value
The meeting also enthusiastically supported a proposal to nominate the New Inn as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) . Under this procedure, Conyers Parish Council will ask Lancaster City Council to list the pub as an ACV. If agreed, this will give the Yealands a "Right to Bid" to take over the New Inn.
If we decided to go down this route -- and we haven't yet -- there would be a six month window during which the villages and their friends could raise money to purchase the pub. The ACV would also be taken into account by the planning authority when considering any application to change the use of the pub.
Meanwhile The Friends of the New Inn would love to hear from anyone else who might be interested in taking over the pub. If you are committed to running a community pub alongside a destination eatery we would love to hear from you. We might even be able to lend some enthusiastic support...especially if you intend to offer a decent pint of bitter!
Please feel free to get in touch: Andy Denwood, Chair, Friends of the New Inn
andydenwood@gmail.com
