Community raises £750k to buy pub not listed for sale

The Hunworth Bell, known as the Hunny Bell, has been closed since the spring

A small community has raised about £750,000 to buy a local pub not currently listed for sale.

The Hunworth Bell, known as The Hunny Bell, near Holt, Norfolk, has been closed since May.

More than 140 locals have clubbed together to buy the pub, which was recently designated an Asset of Community Value (ACV).

However, the owner of the pub, the Stody Estate, said it was not up for sale and it hoped to reopen it in the autumn.

Stody Estate told the BBC that it had rejected a bid in July.

"The estate is the first to recognise its social and community value," it said in a statement.

"We have listened and our plans have evolved, including keeping the larger food offering as it is now and giving the pub some overnight guest accommodation, ahead of it re-opening."

The estate said it had owned the pub for "many generations" and in the past had "subsidised operators" to keep it going.

'Centre of the community'

The previous landlady left the pub in May.

"There have been regulars going in [the pub] for 50 or 60 years," said Adrian Springett, 58, who is part of the campaign group hoping to buy the pub.

"It’s the centre of the community, it’s the centre of the village… and it’s been terribly missed."

Mr Springett said while he was disappointed that the pub was not for sale, he described plans for its reopening as a "massive plus".

"We know the pub is saved which is a fantastic thing. The only thing that we don’t know is when it’s going to reopen," he added.