Villagers group together to reopen closed pub

Gloucestershire villagers have grouped together to buy and reopen a closed Wye Valley pub.

The Brockweir Inn has been closed to local residents for five years.

But locals have now put a plan in place to bring the pub into community ownership and open its doors again.

To raise funds to buy the Forest of Dean pub, a community share offer opened on 1 June and anyone will be able to buy shares in the pub.

The pub, which dates back to the 1700s, was bought five years ago and closed for refurbishment work.

The work become more complex and costly than anticipated, so it was never finished.

Now the community is planning to buy the pub from the current owner, finish the work and open its doors again.

To do this a management committee has been formed that has been preparing the ground work with building surveys, public meetings and business plans.

They are now ready to launch a community share offer.

It is hoped that money created from the Share Launch, as well as the grants that they are applying for will bring the pub into community ownership.

The Brockweir Inn wants to be a welcoming place for the whole community, not just the pub goers, according to those behind the scheme.

There are plans to use the walls of the pub to show the rich history of the village and its River Wye heritage and to install a community garden, as well as creating a community space for groups and events.

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