South Warwickshire pub to reopen after devastating fire
ONE year on and despite a devastating fire which ravaged an historic Grade II-listed pub in Wellesbourne, the Stags Head could reopen in early November.
Next Tuesday (11th October) marks a year since a fire rapidly ripped through the building’s historic thatched roof and timbers in the early hours of the morning.
Crews from Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service battled for five hours to extinguish the blaze using seven fire engines. Fortunately, no one was injured in the fire, but it left a community shocked that an iconic and well-known pub was left a smouldering wreck.
After a lot of hard work – much involving specialists – it’s understood a scheduled reopening of the pub is due next month.
A site visit was carried out this week, co-landlord Kelly Parker-Jackson confirmed to the Herald.
From the outset when disaster struck last year, the Wellesbourne community rallied and fundraising went into full swing with people only too willing to pitch in and pledge money to help the pub staff cope financially, and to support the detailed task of a major restoration of the 150-year-old premises which would have to match the original state of the outside of the building because of its Grade II status.
“There was a site visit on Tuesday and we hope to reopen early November but it won’t be this month,” Kelly said.
Work on the restoration project has been praised on social media with villagers saying they can’t wait to see the pub open again and order their first pint.
Historically, the Stags Head holds significance not just in the immediate community but also nationally as this was the location chosen by Joseph Arch from Barford to address a meeting of farm labourers in 1872, which later led to the foundation of the National Agricultural Labourers Union.
He was expecting a small gathering at the pub but in the end thousands of agricultural labourers turned up and the meeting was moved outside into Chestnut Square, Wellesbourne.
