'Community-run pub gives feeling of belonging'

A pub which was the first in Yorkshire to be owned by the community is in need of a new tenant to ensure its future.

The George & Dragon in Hudswell, North Yorkshire, closed in 2008 and a community group was formed to try and save it.

Hudswell Community Pub Ltd (HCP) sold shares in order to raise the £200,000 it needed to purchase the building and land, and it reopened its doors in 2010.

The pub was named national pub of the year by CAMRA in 2017, however the current tenant is stepping down and HCP need to find a new one to take over in March.

Heather Swettenham, community pub secretary, said so many small villages had lost their pubs and they were "vital".

"It is important, it is the focus, it is literally in the middle of the village," she said.

Mrs Swettenham said having the pub was a selling point to new residents and tourists.

"We have a beer festival and it brings people in from all over and we have a few rental cottages and people gravitate to the pub because it's warm and friendly, the locals are in there and they always make people welcome."

She said it gave that "general feeling of belonging" and a sense of community that was so important to the village.

"We've had quite a lot of new arrivals over the past few years and the pub is where people gravitate and with a good tenant, a friendly tenant, they foster that feeling, we've got lovely bar staff, it is just a welcome place to be."

The George & Dragon is not just a place for a drink and a meal, as it also contains a small volunteer-run village shop selling essentials.

"The whole community aspect of the pub and the shop are vitally important to the village. Which is why when a pub dies or goes out of use people say 'can we open this ourself' and they do and it makes such a difference," Mrs Swettenham said.

There are also community allotments just past the beer garden and a little library within the pub.

The success of the pub has inspired other community projects in the village, which sits at the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

The Hudswell Community Charity has converted the redundant St Michael's Church into a walkers' hostel, and has also been involved in the development of affordable housing in the village.

Mrs Swettenham said they had been fortunate with their previous tenant and had received a lot of interest in the vacancy.

She said they were hopeful they could find someone to continue to develop the pub's business, its role in the community and maintain its reputation for good beer and food.

"I would say a good pub, which is more than a pub, it's a meeting place and a place where people can enjoy each other's company."

She said the board of HCP was very supportive of its tenants and was committed to keeping the pub open, while keeping its traditional feel.

"People want, especially in the Dales, an old-fashioned, fire-lit, dog-friendly, nice local pub," she said.

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