BITTER? NOT HALF!
Fury at 16th-century inn’s disastrous £40k Ikea-style makeover
FOR centuries, the Fox and Hounds has attracted diners and drinkers from miles around to enjoy fine food and drink in a traditional Cotswolds inn.
But what was once the hub of the village of Great Wolford now stands empty amid a battle over its £40,000 refurbishment.
Residents have condemned the modern redesign which replaced the charming old oak bar with ‘Ikea-style pine furniture’.
But owners Stephen Allely, 59, and Jacqueline Harding, 58, have now closed the ‘unviable’ Grade IIlisted inn which dates back to 1540, after trading for less than a year.
The couple also failed in an application to convert the award-winning pub into two houses, after 1,400 locals signed a petition in protest.
The owners bought the business for £400,000 in May 2015, and the property is now back on the market for £550,000. Villager Charles Pearmain, 62, set up a website to protest against the couple’s ownership of the award-winning pub. Yesterday he said: ‘The historic bar and interior was its centrepiece. They came in, ripped out the interior and replaced it with Ikeastyle pine furniture.’
Wendy Veale, 60, ran the pub between 2000 and 2003. She said: ‘During my time, it was an award winner of the Good Pub Guide Warwickshire Fine Dining Pub of the Year for two consecutive years.’
Mr Allely and Miss Harding have refused to comment but their estate agent yesterday accused locals of mounting a ‘hostile social media campaign’ against the couple.