Norfolk village loses both its pubs

A Norfolk village is without a pub for the first time in 300 years, after the last one standing mysteriously closed.

A Norfolk village is without a pub for the first time in 300 years, after the last one standing mysteriously closed.

Swanton Abbott, near North Walsham, used to be blessed with two pubs but the Weavers Arms closed seven years ago, and The Jolly Farmers has become the latest casualty of the recession.

Jenny Vaughan, a former regular at the Jolly Farmers, said: 'We used to have two pubs in the village, then it was one, and now it's none. Both of the pubs used to have a good trade, but after 300 years we are a dry village

'I know a lot of pubs have closed in the recession, but I thought this one was doing quite well. I don't know why it's shut, and there's no sign on the pub window saying what's happened.

'It was a family-run pub and the mother and daughter ran it. I don't know what is going to happen to the building, but all the furniture and equipment from inside has been taken away.

'A lot of people are sad about it. The village once had six shops, and there are now none, and the post office is only open three days a week for three hours a day.'

The owners of the pub were unavailable for comment.

The Evening News' Love Your Local campaign aims to get punters back into pubs that are struggling to survive in the recession.

To see previous stories from our campaign log on to www.eveningnews24.co.uk/loveyourlocal.