Shropshire pub featured on TV's Time Team to be reopened by locals

The Kynnersley Arms in Leighton, a Grade II-listed building which has extensive snapshots of history that date back almost 1,000 years, has been leased by a group of locals who are keen to keep it in the community.

Standing in a prominent position on the B4380 between Ironbridge and Shrewsbury, the pub was featured on Time Team, who investigated the archaeology of the site including the historical corn mill, which dates back to the Domesday period.

Realising there was little chance that the pub would reopen any time soon, a few of the regulars decided to approach the owner with a view to taking on the lease as a local community venture, and so The Leighton Pub Company was conceived.

Roll on nine months, and exactly a year to the day that the pub closed its doors due to Covid, the lease was signed.

“When the opportunity arose for us to take on the pub’s lease we were delighted. It’s a great village pub, and we are aiming to attract both locals and visitors from further afield,” explained Mark Thorn, one of the new leaseholders.

The pub is currently undergoing repairs and extensive revamping, including significantly improving the interior to make it more appealing to a broader audience.

The works, which are being carried out by The Leighton Pub Company team, are being supported by local volunteers, who are equally eager to see the pub reopen as soon as possible.

Newly-appointed manager Gareth Penny, who has previously worked at Buckingham Palace, said: “Our ethos is to provide consistently great food, using only the best quality local produce, in a relaxed village pub where everyone is welcome.”

The Leighton Pub Company is aiming to open its doors during May, serving both food and a selection of real ales and good wines from local suppliers.

John Williams FRICS Chairman of Sidney Phillips, who handled the sale of the pub, said: "This letting is an excellent outcome for the community and the well regarded Leighton Estate.

"It is good to see the business in keen local ownership and I am sure will be a major asset to the village.”

For further information about pubs for sale or how to buy a business, please contact Sidney Phillips on 01981 250333.