Historic UK village pub closes for good after 400 years

An historic UK pub has closed its doors after centuries of serving customers at the heart of a picturesque rural village. The leaseholder at The Bell Inn announced the move in an emotional message to patrons that took even its owners by surprise.

Located in the village of Monkleigh in North Devon, The Bell Inn has been a staple of the community for more than 400 years. However, it closed on Monday, July 29 as management said there was "no suitable option". But its owners, Roy and Sally Goodger, were unaware of the news until they learned of the closure through family.

The leaseholder took to Facebook to announce the heart-wrenching closure, stating it was a decision they "never wanted to make". In a poignant message, they expressed: "How do you say goodbye to a place that's been at the heart of the village for four centuries?

"Today will be our final day of trading at The Bell Inn. A perfect storm of soaring rent, rising insurance and alcohol costs, plus essential structural repairs leaves us with no suitable option."

Roy and Sally, who have owned the pub since 2019, were taken aback by the news. They had entrusted the establishment to a new tenant earlier this year, hopeful for a resurgence,

Roy, speaking to Devon Live from a family trip in Scotland, explained: "We had a call from the wife's brother-in-law to say they saw a post from The Bell Inn, and if we knew anything about it - and we didn't." Roy revealed that the pub's financial predicament had become unsustainable, even prior to their departure from daily operations.

Insurance premiums had rocketed from £3,000 per annum to a staggering £10,500, whilst utility bills and wholesale expenses had all risen too. He said: "We did the sums yesterday - that pub needs to bring in £1,200 a day just for fixed costs.

"When you factor in everything else - maintenance, stock, licensing - you're probably talking £1,500, maybe £2,000 a day. It's just not viable.

"That is the sad fact of it, and that's not just The Bell. Most pubs in the country are struggling. A lot are losing a fortune.

"When we took over in 2019, the price of a pint of local ale was £3.50. If the pub increased prices in-line with costs, a pint would be £10 now, which of course is completely unrealistic."

The pair, who initially assumed control of The Bell following Roy's construction career being curtailed by injury, revealed they were forced to shoulder virtually all responsibilities single-handedly to maintain operations. "We didn't take a wage - not once - from that pub," Sally disclosed.

"Roy was cooking, I was front of house, and we had minimal part-time help. It was basically 13 hours a week from someone else for busy shifts."

Sally, who currently assists in managing another pub in Ipswich, recognised the harsh realities confronting the industry. "It's still a lovely lifestyle, but unless you're prepared to work for virtually nothing, it just isn't viable anymore," she said.

The pub's closure represents another devastating blow to Devon's rural communities, with residents from neighbouring villages such as Langtree and Frithelstock - whose own locals have already closed - regularly travelling to The Bell. Sally described it as "Monkleigh's living room" and said the community would deeply feel the loss.

"As landlords and owners of the building, we have only ever charged our tenants the exact costs in terms of rent (e.g. to cover mortgage and insurance) - we have never taken a penny's profit, as we know first-hand how key it is to keep costs down."

The future of the Grade II-listed thatched establishment remains uncertain, though Roy suggested reopening as a pub was improbable.

"Unless insurance and energy costs come down, it's never going to be open again," he said. "That's probably the way it's going to go - houses."

Regarding necessary changes, both Roy and Sally highlighted insufficient government backing. "There's no help," Roy said. "Our sector is one of the biggest employers in the country, yet we don't have a minister in Parliament.

"Sally added: "They could adjust VAT like other countries do. They do it in France and Germany to help hospitality during difficult times. But it's fallen on deaf ears for a long time."