‘Last pub standing’ goes up for sale priced at £175,000
A STAFFORDSHIRE Moorlands village is ‘like the land that time forgot’ as its local pub called last orders for the final time before being put up for sale.
The Bulls Head, in High Street, Kingsley, has closed its doors and is up for sale with a guide price of £195,000 through specialist estate agents Pub Innsite.
The village once had four pubs but residents now have to travel to The Blacksmith Arms in nearby Kingsley Holt for a swift pint.
And villagers are keen to see the pub reopen but hope it will switch its focus to real ale and attracting an older clientele.
Philip Parnham, of Kingsley, said: “Everything in the village is closing and it is part of the Staffordshire Moorlands but it’s like the land that time forgot in Kingsley.
“There are a lot of problems in Kingsley and since the council took all of the parking away on High Street it has just become a cut through.
“It would have been nice to have a pub but I don’t think I was part of the crowd, it didn’t attract the older clientele. If a proper real ale pub opened then it could bring in more older people in the week.”
John Wood, also of Kingsley, added: “The pub shut because it lacked the customers. It always had a lot of families and young children in there. I’m surprised it shut because it was the last pub standing in the village – there used to be four.
“I’d definitely like to see it reopening as a pub because we don’t have one, or even a shop, in Kingsley. It would be such a shame if it was to go.”
Kay Millward is concerned The Bull’s Head was a meeting point for the community and fears the village could suffer unless it reopens.
She said: “We really need a pub because we don’t have a shop or anything else in the village. Going to the pub was the only time you would see anyone, it’s quiet and there isn’t anything around here.
“It was the place everyone went to mix. It would be an asset to the village if it was to open up again.”
Pubinnsite describes The Bull’s Head as ‘requiring some investment’ but highlights its close proximity to tourist attraction Alton Towers. The pub has a one-bedroom flat above and a small kitchen that could be used to serve food.
It says the building has a low rateable value – only £5,000 – meaning whoever buys the property will be liable to waiver its fees.