Pub with collapsed wall hopes to reopen by spring
A wall on the Ship Inn collapsed after heavy rain
At a glance
Owners of The Ship Inn, a pub which saw a wall collapse after heavy rain over the weekend, hopes the pub will be fixed and open for business by the spring
Heather Brown, part of the family that runs the pub, said the collapse could have been avoided if landlords Punch Taverns had listened to their calls for building improvements
Punch Taverns said it was working hard to "ensure the remaining pub structure is safe and then identify the extent of the damage"
- Published
A family-run pub hopes to reopen its doors to customers by spring 2024.
The wall of the Ship Inn at Cockwood, near Dawlish, Devon, collapsed following heavy rain - people were in the building but no one was hurt.
Heather Brown, one of the family partners who run the pub, said the situation was "absolutely devastating", and their landlords Punch Taverns had not listened to their calls for building improvements.
A Punch Taverns spokesperson said the company was "thankful that no one was hurt or injured".
Heather Brown hopes the pub will reopen by spring
The pub is made from cob, a traditional West Country building material, which is a mixture of mud and straw.
Ms Brown said "cob specialists predicted this would happen".
She said: "Punch have dragged their heels and ignored our pleas to help and now our business is in ruin.
"It's heart-breaking - in an industry that is already driven into the ground with the cost of living... fingers crossed we can rebuild."
A Punch Taverns spokesperson said: "We are working hard with our publican, insurers and other relevant agencies to ensure the remaining pub structure is safe and then identify the extent of the damage.
"Until we have all of this information, we will not know how long the work will take to reinstate the pub and reopen it."
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- Published29 October 2023
