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Villagers in battle to save last pub

BBC/ALAN WEBBER Pam Powell stands in a village lane with neat grass verges to either side and a red-brick cottage and white house in the background. She has short white hair, wears blue glasses and a cream-coloured coat and smiles towards the camera.BBC/ALAN WEBBER
Pam Powell, who chairs the Old Bolingbroke with Hareby Parish Council, says the pub could be the heart of the community

Residents in a historic village are determined to save their last pub after two others were lost.

The Black Horse Inn in Old Bolingbroke is one of dozens of pubs that have closed across Lincolnshire in recent years, according to the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra).

Now, parish councillors are hoping to have it designated as an asset of community value (ACV), which would give them time to raise money to buy the building.

"A pub can be the heart of a community," said council chairwoman Pam Powell. "It's a facility that we want to be able to keep in the village."

The Black Horse was once one of three pubs serving Old Bolingbroke, which is known for the 13th Century castle where King Henry IV was born.

Ms Powell said it had been a "good, lively pub", known for its fish and chips.

BBC/ALAN WEBBER A white-painted brick-built pub, with a black door and five windows. The leaves of a red climbing plant cover one end of the building.BBC/ALAN WEBBER
Campaigners want to reopen the Black Horse Inn

Earlier this year, the parish council applied for an ACV, but was turned down by East Lindsey District Council on the grounds that there was "no clear evidenced use of this premises as a public house since 2012".

However, a recent survey found 89% of villagers who took part were likely to support a community-owned pub.

Ms Powell said the parish council was now considering a second application.

Villagers are hoping to emulate the success of a community pub in nearby Tattershall Thorpe, which was taken over by a group of locals in January 2023.

BBC/ALAN WEBBER Sue Maltby stands behind the bar of the Blue Bell Inn. She has shoulder-length, dark brown hair and wears a black T-shirt. She rests a hand on one of five beer pumps. In the background are drinks fridges and rows of spirit bottles.BBC/ALAN WEBBER
Sue Maltby has helped save the Blue Bell Inn at Tattershall Thorpe

The Blue Bell Inn is believed to date back to the 16th Century and was popular with airmen from 617 Squadron, better known as The Dambusters, who wrote their names on the ceiling during World War Two.

"We all feel very passionate about it," said co-owner Sue Maltby. "We think we've done the right thing for the pub, the village [and] the history."

Camra estimates that 21 pubs have permanently closed across Lincolnshire in the last three years, while another 68 are shut at present and may not reopen.

Paul Ainsworth, the group's national planning advisor, called on the government to do more to help save pubs.

"They could reduce duty on beer, which would reduce the price of a pint in the pub, and also reform business rates, which are a huge overhead at the moment," he said.

The BBC has been unable to contact the owners of the Black Horse.

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