News about the Chamley Arms

This letter was sent out to everyone on the Friends of Warcop Pub e-mail list on 12/10/11:

Happy New Year to all!

A letter has been received by Friends of Warcop Pub dated 11/01/11 from Mark Frankland, owner of the Chamley Arms, in response to our letter dated 16/10/09.

He confirms that the current tenant has given up the business, and he considers that there is little chance of it re-opening and trading in its present format.

He states that planning permission will once again be applied for on the bases (sic) that the pub is not viable, not trading, but keeping the village pub aspect in the hope that the site will once again become a viable proposition if planning were to be granted, and in which case, he would be prepared to offer the Village Pub aspect to the community as outlined in the Government Community Bills.

At the same time the Chamley Arms is to be put up for sale after a valuation, but before doing this, the freehold is being offered to the village at a price of £250,000. He states that this is the minimum price he is prepared to accept based on the purchase price and their losses at the premises.

Further to this letter, the Parish Council meeting on Monday was informed that an offer has been made to the Parish Council to purchase the pub on behalf of the village. In light of this letter, discussions will be ongoing about this option. Several people have also come forward with an interest in managing different aspects of the business, which is also good news.

There are likely to be views and opinions about the contents of this letter, and actions to be taken in the coming months, so a FOWP meeting will be called shortly. However, other meetings were already booked with concerned parties in the next fortnight before the arrival of this letter. It would be preferable to see the outcome of those before a public meeting is called, particularly as these meetings concern funding and ownership options already available to Warcop.

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It has taken 18 months to reach this stage. Stage 2 may not be as quick as many in the village would hope; I think all of us want to see the doors open again and a new era for the Chamley Arms. So to inspire you, watch this video from Pub is the Hub, all about Cumbrian pubs that are succeeding as community concerns.

There are plenty of ideas to choose from for helping to rejuvenate the pub, so let's get our thinking hats on!

The Chamley Arms, Warcop, has (temporarily) closed its doors

The notice on the door tonight, and the piece in today's Herald could leave you thinking that this is another dying rural community.

But Warcop doesn't just give up like that. Warcop has an astounding history. Even offcumeduns are proud of it.

Warcop has had up to 5 pubs in its time, a ropemaker, tailors, haberdashers, grocers, engineers and more. Its history is preserved and cherished by Michael Gregson, whose family for years have kept more than just an anecdotal archive of this village's quite incredible history. You can enjoy a taste of it for yourself in the village archive, and having been there recently, we can guarantee you won't be easily satisfied with a single visit!

This village has a heart. It might not be instantly obvious if you drive through but it's unavoidable once you have been caught up in Warcop's charms. Even Andy Goldsworthy, who learnt his skills on the Warcop village landscape as a tentative gardener, was captured and paid his apprenticeship back by leaving a substantial legacy to the village in the form of a much-appreciated and well-visited pinfold.

You cannot live here and not love the place. It may not be easy, but once you are accepted, this unique Cumbrian village offers a perspective that no other can. In the recent snows of the last two winters, the local farmers kept the roads clear. Whilst this may seem a minimal task to an outsider, there are actually profound reasons to do so - midwifes and doctors can get to their patients, farmers can reach their flocks and cattle, children can arrive at school, each and every person in the village can get to work, wherever that may be.

We all know that this village has little to offer in the way of work, now or in the future, but we can help those who have been offered a living in Eden Valley; they have a chance to attend their jobs, the kids have an opportunity to learn, and everyone has that really simple choice - out or in! Our kids can at the very least get across the beck or the Eden to catch the bus, because our community WORKS.

Snow?! Pah. Our village hasn't been snowed in for yonks. And when it floods, it needs to be really deep before you can't get out.

So, give up on our pub? Don't expect us to give in easily. Or at all.