Efforts to safeguard the future of the Plough Inn in Longparish, Hampshire, which dates back to 1721, have taken CAMRA’s top Pub Saving Award.

When the pub closed its doors, seemingly for good, in December 2015, villagers sprang into action, lobbying planning officers to deny permission to turn it into a residence. They subsequently used grants, donations and a community share scheme, which attracted more than 300 investors, to purchase the pub, in conjunction with the parish council, in February 2021.

After months of hard work, refurbishing the property inside and out, and 300 years after it first began trading, the Plough Inn is once again at the heart of the Longparish community. Bought with help from the parish council which now owns the property, villagers have taken a 99-year lease for the exclusive use of the pub to secure the future of the Plough Inn and promote it as an amenity of prime importance to the community.

Longparish Community Pub chair Andy Jolliffe said: “At the core of a community pub is the people it serves. Our aim in taking over the Plough Inn has been to provide a range of services much wider than just the provision of food and drinks to the local community.

“To see the Plough Inn thriving once again, both as a popular destination pub, and a vibrant and valued community asset at the heart of Longparish village is a fantastic achievement.”

Pub Saving Award coordinator Paul Ainsworth said: “Huge congratulations to the dedicated villagers who have saved both the Plough Inn in Longparish and runner up the Three Horseshoes in Helions Bumpstead.

“Pubs play an irreplaceable role in bringing people together, and the decision to purchase and run a pub as a community is a real commitment to preserving its future for generations to come. It is a real privilege to be able to highlight these efforts. Well done to everyone involved.”

CAMRA has support for anybody looking to save their local and the Pub Saving Award highlights how groups across the UK have managed to do it. You can find CAMRA’s Saving Your Local Pub guides, plus more resources and contacts for advice at www.camra.org.uk/saveyourlocal

Visit What’s Brewing Online tomorrow for the story of runner up the Three Horseshoes in Helions Bumpstead, Essex.