A pub that has a long history in the local pub and beer scene is at risk of being demolished and an amazing artwork mural lost if an application being placed before Test Valley Borough Council is approved.
The Weyhill Fair just outside Andover has been closed since January last year after a series of licensees ran the business following its sale to Fullers Smith & Turner, a brewery now owned by global brewing company Asahi of Japan. Fullers are also closing other pubs, including the Fox at Newfound.
Pub losses
The closure had left Weyhill without a pub with the nearby Star having closed some years ago and converted into a restaurant while the next nearest, The Bell, is also long term closed.
The success of the Weyhill Fair
When a Free House under the ownership of Dave and Jan Rayner, the Weyhill Fair had been developed into one of the most successful real ale and good food pubs in the area.
Dave and Jan had become famous for being leaders in supporting independent breweries and had introduced also a very successful annual Beer and Music Festival that continued after they retired.
Another casualty of this application may be the loss of use of the field to the Andover Whippet Club, a long time user of the land.
Award winning, but then Fullers came along
The pub had previously been awarded the coveted Wessex Campaign for Real Ale Pub of the Year as well as winning many local accolades. It became one of the longest running entries in the national Good Beer Guide, known by many as the "Beer Drinkers Bible" and was a regular venue for CAMRA meetings.
However under Fuller's ownership it has been far less successful as is often the case under companies with less local community commitment and who may wish to cash in on residential land values at the expense of community facilities.
THE APPLICATION
Plans for nine large housesThe planning application submitted for Rivendale Developments is for complete demolishment of the pub and the subsequent building of nine three and four bed dwellings.
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| The Sun Inn before its name change |
The application shows little regard for the pub building and there has been no detail provided on whether any independent historic assessment has been carried out.
The present building seems to be at least 18th century and pictures from the turn of the century, when it was called The Sun, show at least the frontage largely unaltered from today.
In addition the applicant's reports on marketing the pub have a bias towards future development of the site rather than it being placed for sale 'as a pub' or indeed as any other use.
The non-viability as a public house has therefore not been adequately shown.
These concerns are amongst those being made to Test Valley Borough Council.
The Council should not allow any change of use, let alone demolition without taking these critical issues into account. As such the application should be rejected.
Objections can be lodged here:
https://view-applications.testvalley.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=SAECMNQCHO800&activeTab=summary
ANOTHER MAJOR CONCERN – the famous Mural
Of major concern is the potential loss of an amazing painted mural that covers a wall of the upstairs function room. Anyone using the room would have been awestruck by its content and quality.The mural depicts the historic Weyhill Fair that was one of the country's largest sheep fairs in medieval times when over 100,000 sheep a day were traded. The Fair was also famous for trading by hops growers, and other farmstock goods. with traders travelling from all over the south of England to attend.
The demolishing of this pub goes far further than just loss of an eating and drinking establishment.
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| The famous upstairs mural that covers one wall. Thank you to Sian Coles for kind use of the above picture ©Sian Coles Photography https://www.siancolesphotography.co.uk/ • |
The proposed demolishing of the pub could see this tremendous piece of artwork lost forever.
With today's building technology that even allows whole buildings to be moved intact it is believed it could be saved and possibly become part of the nearby Weyhill Fairground Craft Centre or another community facility.
