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Village mystery as pub is closed

7:10am Saturday 4th July 2009


MYSTERY surrounds the closure of a popular village pub.

Wanborough villagers have voiced their disappointment about the demise of popular High Street pub The Harrow Inn.

The boarded-up venue was well known throughout the borough for its live music nights and special Christmas events.

Enterprise Inns, which own the pub, said it hoped to appoint a new landlord in the near future, but declined to comment on why the business has closed.

Karen Patani, from Springlines, in Wanborough, said the pub was a village landmark even though Wanborough boasts five other pubs.

“I am sad to see it go, I used to go to the pub sometimes, it used to be one of the most popular pubs around,” she said.

“Nobody likes to hear that a pub, especially a friendly and happy pub like that, is no longer serving.”

John Silcock, who lives in Upper Wanborough, said Wanborough’s pub trade seemed to be suffering in the earlier part of the year but was improving because of the hot weather.

He said: “I am not sure if it closed because of poor trade but pubs weren’t that well in the beginning of the year.

“I used to go and see live music in The Harrow, it was great for a laugh and it usually had good bands on.

“I was gutted to find out it had shut, it’s really too bad for the village because everyone enjoyed it so much, we have great pubs here in Wanborough.”

The closure of the thatched venue, which dates back to 1637, means only five of the village’s seven pubs are open for business, including the Brewers Arms, The Cross Keys, The New Calley Arms, The Black Horse and The Plough.

However, landlords from the other pubs in the village said that although business had improved because The Harrow Inn was no longer trading, no-one was happy to see it go.

John Cullum, the landlord of The Bakers Arms, said: “We have never been in competition with each other, we are very sad to see it go.

“All the pubs do a different business and appeal to different crowds.

“A lot of people say to me that its closure would be good for business, but I don’t see it that way at all.

“It is one less pub to attract people. Wanborough pubs do well I think because we have so much choice.”

He added that the pub, which was run by Karen and David Gray, shut on May 24, the day before Wanborough Beer Race.

Bill Bendall, the social secretary for the Campaign For Real Ale Swindon, said everyone in his organisation was sad to see the pub go.

He said: “It served a nice real ale, it was one of the best pubs for that in Swindon – that’s why it made it into the Good Beer Guide.”

A spokeswoman for Enterprise Inns said the company was searching for new landlords and only expected the Harrow to be closed temporarily.


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Your Say YourWiltshire

Bobfm, South Marston says...
8:28am Sat 4 Jul 09

For those of us in the trade mention Enterprise Inns or Punch Taverns, and you have your reason why it has closed.

High rents, a vicious beer tie, that far exceeds anything a local Brewer like Arkells would charge for products.

Inflated insurance premiums, very little support. The irony for lessees of these two companies is the harder the lessee works the more they get screwed.

If you want to know more as a customer go to morningadvertiser.co
.uk there is always a thread running about these two companies. One thing is certain though they will find a new tenant, who will not be told the truth as to why the previous tenant left and the whole cycle will start again.

The average length of a leasehold tenancy these days is 12 to 18 months. Most lessees go broke, or at best walk away with nothing.

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who dat?, Swindon says...
10:36am Sat 4 Jul 09

Another mystery - "the pub, which was run by Karen and David Gray, shut on May 24, " - its now July !! - will we now have to wait 5 weeks for the Town's footie reports to appear in the red hot Aver?

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Lomas, Covingham says...
11:00am Sat 4 Jul 09

The smoking ban strikes again...!!

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BathNick, Bath says...
11:29am Sat 4 Jul 09

Do not be mistaken, the Smoking Ban was a while ago and had it's effect on all pubs but in a normal operating environment even changes as major as that work their way through an industry and things adjust. e.g. Increased income from food offerings where possible have gone someway to redress the balance. Real Ale sales are taking a bigger proportion of the market... No, one of the biggest hits that the trade has had to wrestle with is increased duty. Tax on product increased by 18% last year. If HMG puts 2% on beers 'at source', as each barrel changes hands and a markup is added the 2% gets bigger producing a 6p to 10p increase at the tap. As Bobfm says above, it's the Pub owning property Companies who really are destroying the trade. Having borrowed stupid amounts of cash (Enterprise Inns owe £4.5bn – Telegraph 19 Nov 2008) to build their estates they are finding the only way they can maintain their income is by screwing every last penny out of their 'partner' lessees and tenants and forcing them into penury. Unless The Harrow is sold for redevelopment with a covenant preventing its use as a pub ever again (shouldn't be allowed – Planners take note) then they will find another sucker to screw into the ground to maintain their debt repayments. To repeat – if anyone is truly interested in ‘The Fall of The Great British Pub’ check out The Morning Advertiser, Fair Pint Campaign, Justice for Licensees and Parliament's Business and Enterprise Committee (BEC) report make interesting reading. I wish the Best of luck to the remaining Wanborough pubs if they’re owned by large property companies. Regards.

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Bobfm, South Marston says...
11:50am Sat 4 Jul 09

BathNick I would just take issue on the smoking ban. I would agree 'normal' changes are part of life.

The smoking ban was far from normal, it affected 80% of pub customers, no other event in the trades history has ever done that.

It is still a reality that most landlocked pubs (those without an outside area) still report the ban as their biggest issue and would immediately reverse no smoking if they could.

Had the Government and health lobby been right and millions of non pub going customers suddenly have entered the balance would indeed have returned. But they didn't and still don't.

Even tied Lessees would have a better chance had there not been a ban. It must be remembered that the bulk of Enterprise and Punch pubs would fall into the category of 'traditional boozers'.

Aside from that i concur with everything BathNick says.

An example of Punch and Enterprise Pubs in Swindon, make up your own minds.

The Globe, The Fish's, The King and Queen at Longcot, The Shepherds Rest, The Barringtons Arms, The Red Lion at Broad Hinton.

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TGLP, swindon says...
1:54pm Sat 4 Jul 09

I think the pub trades like yesterdays news. No-one cares.

If 3/4 of the pubs and chuches in this town closed, would it matter in the great picture of life,

Only to those purveyors of booze and a few bible punchers.

If you want to drink it,s available when you go shopping, If you want to fell holyer than me you can pray anytime, anywere.

Churches are closing, not because of the smoking ban though is it?

It’s because of Social Change,

Can you hear it coming, it’s getting louder.

I don’t give a **** either way I’m devout atheist and don’t drink alcohol..

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Loki-o, Cricklade says...
3:43pm Sat 4 Jul 09

Small town and village pubs are in many cases, the centre and focus of many community groups and activities that benefit the entire community (and not just the pub going part). Certainly in Cricklade there are many groups, charities and societies that meet regularly in the pubs, finding them convenient and friendly places to meet. Once all these pubs are all gone they can never be brought back. They are still useful places to source local tradesman and services (with personal recommendations and experiences). It is not just about the drink, it is about the camaraderie, socialising, exchange of ideas and opinions. In a small way the closure of every such pub is a nail in the coffin of society and community. If one were cynical it could be said that this explains the lack of interest from the government…

Until duty levels for off-sales are increased to levels similar to those of on-sales the steady decline will continue. While I think the smoking ban has had an effect, at least increasing the off-sales duty may go some way to redressing the balance.

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Captain Sensible, Nowhere says...
7:00pm Sat 4 Jul 09

Nice to see that by having all these reporters with a local patch to look after the Adver are now only 5 weeks behind with the news. Well done, trebbles all round at the Roaring Donkey.

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Bobfm, South Marston says...
7:50pm Sat 4 Jul 09

Loki-o, it is said that each pubs is a Parliament, where ideas are exchanged. It has also been suggested that the reason such places are under constant attack by HMG is to stifle such interaction making the public easier to control.

Food for thought.

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Captain Sensible, Nowhere says...
10:10pm Sat 4 Jul 09

Thinking about it Adver hacks, here's some more up to date info on closed pubs for you, the Fishes in Highworth closed over 2 years ago, and the white horse closed in April 2008, any chance of an article about them? Complete with photo of glum faced thirsty ex regulars stood outside the boarded up pubs?

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tradesman, swindon says...
11:03pm Sat 4 Jul 09

the adver is only interested in the new 'diversity' the immigrants offer to swindon, they still wont report on the cockroach infestation in the broad green area.they see this area not like us (a sh/t hole) but as a shining light for community togetherness.why wont they repot on the somalis running the drug trade in swindon? and the albanians the sex trade?

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The Harrow Inn, in Wanborough The Harrow Inn, in Wanborough


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