Pub that opened in 1610 could be forced to close

A Cotswold village could lose its last pub after a move to list it as a community asset has been rejected, angering local residents.

The grade II-listed Seven Tuns in Chedworth has been operating since about 1610.

The local parish council nominated it for listing last year, and after the pub’s third closure in 10 years, the Seven Tuns Action Group (STAG) has been reformed to campaign for the pub’s future.

But the bid to list it as a community asset has been rejected by Cotswold District Council, meaning it could now be forced to close.

The pub, which has been used for community events and weddings, wakes and birthday parties for many years, fell into financial hardship at the start of the year, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

STAG chair Patricia Langley said: "We find it astonishing that Cotswold District Council should have reached such a conclusion.

"The [village] shop has gone, there is only one pub left, and now that is under threat.”

She said: “The only way to ensure the future of the Seven Tuns is for the local community to buy it.

“We are going to set up a Community Benefit Society to hopefully buy the pub, so that it can be run and enjoyed by locals for generations to come.”

This comes after the publication of the Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) pub closure statistics, which revealed that more than 1,200 pubs shut in 2023.

CAMRA’s South West England Regional Director Peter Bridle said: “To lose the last pub in the village would be terrible for the community of Chedworth.

"Pubs are not only a place to enjoy a pint, but also play an integral part in people’s social lives and wellbeing.

The Seven Tuns Action Group hopes another landlord will be able to take on the historic pub.

A district council spokesperson said: "Whilst we try and accommodate the community where we can given our role, the Seven Tuns Inn nomination did not include enough supporting evidence and failed to meet the criteria laid down in the Localism Act and therefore could not be listed as an asset of community value."