Villagers are celebrating after spending almost two years campaigning to save their local pub.
Campaigners raised £400,000 from a share offer which launched in February, with over 500 members signing up.
A campaign was launched to save The Mardale Inn in Bampton last July after The Crown & Mitre — the area’s last remaining pub — never reopened to non-residents after the pandemic. It was sold in October.
A positive first public meeting was held and a subsequent survey was inundated with responses. By late last year the campaign began to draw interest online, with award-winning filmmaker and photographer Terry Abraham and Penrith and the Border MP Neil Hudson confirming their support.
After the success of the share offer earlier this year, campaigners bought the pub for £350,000 last Friday (6th May).
With the sale now completed, the dream of reopening the pub for the community is now in sight.
“We are aiming for this summer and then for accommodation we are aiming for 2023,” said Phil Sweetland, one of the founders of the campaign.
Work is still needed to bring the pub back into reuse.
“There is nothing significant structurally that needs our attention,” said Phil. “But we need to redecorate the bar, upgrade the kitchen and refurbish the bedrooms.
“We are kicking off the process already. We are working on the bar first of all, then the kitchen and then the rooms.”
The improvements will be funded by the remains of the money raised during the share offer and also future grants.
The pub will open under The Mardale Inn name but members will meet in the next month or so to vote on what the pub should be called going forward.
“We lost both our pubs and we felt it was important to to have a pub long-term for the community,” said Phil.
“We get visitors and such like and The Butchers Arms at Crosby Ravensworth and The Old Crown at Hesket Newmarket are local examples of what you can
achieve.
“The nearest pub is at Askham or Shap which is three or four miles away.”
It is expected that the pub will also be used by punters from the nearby villages of Bampton Grange, Burnbanks, Butterwick, Knipe and Rosgill.
It is all about community, according to Phil. “That is the aim. In the dark winter months you can be very isolated in the village and you might not see many people out and about,” he said.
“It will provide warm and friendly evening meals for those who don’t want to cook themselves.”
“The news of the sale has been met with joy by local villagers. I think everybody is delighted,” said Phil. “It is a big sum of money and it was asking a lot. People didn’t think it would be possible.”
Fundraisers focussed on the Wainwright connection to Bampton Valley, wildlife in the area and cult comedy film Withnail and I, which was filmed almost entirely in and around Bampton and nearby Shap.
Phil has a message for all those who supported the campaign.
“I very much appreciate the belief and practical and financial support for the project and for sticking with us,” he said. “Hopefully we get to the point where we are reopening the pub in the summer.”
Campaigners are now on the hunt for possible tenants to take on the running of the pub.
