16th Century pub saved by village reopens

The Hop Pole Inn was busy when it opened on Saturday

A 16th Century pub that closed in 2018 has reopened, after being saved by the community.

The Hop Pole Inn was at risk of redevelopment before being bought by the Limpley Stoke Community Benefit Society in 2022, which was given six weeks to raise £370,000.

The historic Grade II listed Wiltshire pub has since been renovated at a cost of around £1.3m.

"It means everything because without a pub, a village is nothing and has no community," said Simon Coombe, chairman of the society.

Simon Coombe said the pub would make Limpley Stoke more of a community

Mr Coombe added: "This is a place where everyone will be coming together, meeting, chatting, getting to know each other, gossiping, and that's what makes a true community."

As well as inviting local people to invest, the not-for-profit community organisation also received a series of grants to help restore the pub to its former glory.

These included £300,000 from the government's Community Ownership Fund and £10,000 each from the National Lottery and the Swindon-based Hills Group Ltd.