The Punchbowl Inn, Hurst Green was illegally demolished in June 2021 and the owners were subsequently convicted.

An order was made for the owners to re-build the pub within a 12 month period which has now lapsed and which has not been fulfilled.

The Challenge of the Public House

When I first moved to the area in 2003, the Punchbowl was trading as a licensed premises ( public house ).

It was never an attractive option to visit being in a state of visible disrepair and the location was not particularly great.

Like so many public houses it was not particularly busy and, like other public houses in the area, eventually closed it’s doors for good.

Hurst Green and other areas of the Ribble Valley are no strangers to closed pubs.

In Hurst Green alone, as well as the Punchbowl, the village lost the Eagle and Child, which was a popular pub with a good menu.

The Bayley Arms, another pub within Hurst Green village, has, over recent years, seen a roundabout of licensees and has just recently re-opened after a 3 year closure.

Not too far away, Knowle Green saw the closure of the Hall’s Arms and the New Drop Inn, the former being converted into a business centre after a significant re-development and the latter now changed into apartment style private accommodation.

In Longridge, The White Bull – converted into apartments, the Black Bull – converted into houses.

In Rimington the Black Bull converted into accommodation.

In Whalley the Whalley Arms is now a Co-op.

The list goes on and on as pubs close due to lack of trade.

Back to the Punchbowl

Following it’s closure as a pub the Punchbowl became an Indian restaurant and traded as such for a short time before closing around 2015.

After it’s closure the premises traded as a pub for a short time although it never seemed to be open.

One of my friends knew the owner, a lady, who was under lots of stress with the building and she accepted an offer of ‘help’ from members of the ‘nomadic community’ who quickly installed their caravans on the site.

They then undertook internal modifications in the form of radiator and pipe removals ( along with other metallic items that could be weighed in ).

The mysteriously disappearing plumbing led to flooding and damage and was only exceeded in it’s mystery by the speed at which the nomads left the site, not before they had trashed the area and left the carcass of a caravan by the roadside.

Sadly the building then fell into a real state.

The windows were smashed, slates went missing from the roof, the rear of the building was insecure and it was evident that it had become a free ‘shopping outlet’ for rogue builders and tradesmen who fancied a bit of stone and other materials.

Piles of rubbish were flytipped at the side of the building which itself was fast turning into an eyesore, decrepit and with no apparent future.

In fact one of the ‘fly-tippers’, by their own admission, were workers doing highway’s maintenance – such was the level of concern about this listed building.

Demolition of the Punchbowl

I recall driving past the Punchbowl and seeing a big Hymac style excavator tearing into the body of the pub.

I have to say that I was surprised to see it happening but also not surprised that it was, if that makes any sense.

The building was a wreck, an eyesore which was visibly dropping to bits and seemed to be beyond the point of no return, so, it was not a surprise that it was being flattened.

Would there have been any benefit to it remaining as it was?

The Punchbowl was a Grade 2 Listed building which afforded it certain protections in terms of modifications and demolition but, it is difficult to say just what, if any benefit it afforded the local community.

The Punchbowl had clearly failed, many times, as a commercial operation and, as pointed out above, it was not alone in this.

Pubs across the region ( and country ) have and are closing due to a lack of trade and support.

In this respect then, the Punchbowl had nothing to offer.

Did the Punchbowl have anything to offer from a heritage perspective?

While acknowledging that the building was designated Grade Two Listed with important heritage, it’s tricky to see just what the building had to offer anyone, given that it was boarded up and had fallen into disrepair.

It’s worth noting that the claims made about the heritage value have only become popular following the demolition of the building and that there was very little, if any conversation about this ‘important heritage’ prior to the demolition.

It’s also worth noting that another Grade Two listed pub in the area, The Bayley Arms, was beginning to suffer the ravages of closure and that action was planned by the Parish Council to seek intervention from the local authority who may, or may not have been aware of the building’s condition.

The same cannot be said of the Punchbowl as it was plain for anyone to see just how sorry a state this listed building had fallen into.

Is there any value in re-building the Punchbowl?

There is a local debate around the value in the re-construction of the pub.

One one side are the individuals that claim the loss of heritage and on the other are those that question the viability of such.

It terms of the loss of heritage the most obvious question is – where were these people when the building was trading and needed their support?

Ribble Valley Borough Council have stated that they are determined to get the building restored to it’s former state.

Now, would this ‘former state’ be the state that it was in immediately prior to demolition, or prior to the theft of slates from the roof?

Perhaps it would be the ‘former state’ when it was an Indian restaurant, fully equipped with a tandoori oven in the back and carpet style wallpaper?

Maybe this would be when it was equipped with plumbing, with a host of caravans at the back and the associated junk that generally accompanies these?

Or perhaps the vision it to take it back to the 18th century, complete with stables for Old Bess?

Having determined what this ‘former state’ might take, what, if any interventions will be taken to protect the building and ensure it’s maintenance and upkeep?

It is apparent that numerous applications to develop a sustainable business on the site were dismissed by the local authority so it’s a bewilderment as to how a site, that has failed numerous times as a business, is going to be kept afloat.

Or perhaps the public purse will save the day?

Genuine Concern or Narcissism?

I suspect that anyone who sees a business fail has sympathies for the owners and the rural licensed trade must have it’s fair share of sympathisers.

It’s not a pond that I would like to try fishing in.

There is an old saying that the definition of stupid is to ‘keep trying the same thing while expecting different results’.

Are those that are ‘determined to see the pub restored to it’s former self’ aware of this?

It closed because it didn’t work, it fell into disrepair because the business was not supported, many attempts were unsuccessful.

Is re-building to it’s former state a wise decision and strategy?

Perhaps the ‘determination’ is borne more out of self interest than of any local benefit or concern for heritage?

What is the answer to the Punchbowl?

The court ruled that the Punchbowl should be reinstated and, unless the court decide otherwise then that ruling has to be fulfilled.

The big question is that of the future and the sustainability of any business or other operations from the site.

It does seem that little, if any consideration, is being given to the needs of the community and what, if any benefit, the re-instatement of this premises will provide.

Any re-development should seek to offer a community advantage, it terms of employment, commercial opportunity and, most importantly be a long term vision that is not going to result in the building becoming vacant again.

This could be via tourism and the options of accommodation for visitors to the area with the accompanying add-ons of dining and on site retail facilities – the latter of which do not exist for at least 5 miles in any direction.

To simply press ahead without any long term vision on the basis that ‘toes have been trodden on and noses put out of joint’ is both childish and foolhardy.

Such an approach will only result in a building that becomes boarded up with missing roof slates, disappearing plumbing and cases of fly-tipping, by the council, on a ‘very important historic site’.