Fight to save The Bridge Inn, at Whorlton, sees £70k pledged

Earlier this year, Whorlton village residents rallied together in a bid to save The Bridge Inn after plans were lodged to turn the building into a home. 

The potential loss of the Teesdale pub was branded an “immense blow” to the village - with the community having just six months to avoid losing their local, which is up for sale. 

The Whorlton Community Benefit Society hosted its first public meeting earlier this month and, just one week later, managed to drum up £70,000 in pledges for the pub. 

Whorlton resident Elisa Hargreaves, who is leading the drive, said she was “astounded, delighted, and excited” by the support so far. 

Elisa Hargreaves (Image: Malcolm Lockyear)

The 30-year-old said: “It’s people who want their pub back, who have given what they can. That’s the essence of the project. 

“It was honestly disbelief, real disbelief.

“We had £70,000 pledged in the first week, where people pledged how much they were willing to donate to the project. 

“There were pledges from 28 people and that gives me a lot of hope - we had more than 70 people at the meeting and that’s less than half of that.” 

The sales executive also said some members of the community recently had a look around the pub, which remains in a “really positive” state. 

“It is in a very good condition bar a lick of paint and some uptake,” she said. “The furniture and kitchen are all still there and someone could open it tomorrow!” 

The Bridge Inn (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

The meeting, which was held on May 8, made Elisa think saving the pub was “completely possible and in our reach”. 

There were even a couple of famous faces at the meeting, including British antiques expert David Harper, known for his appearances on BBC’s Antiques Road Trip, who is a member of the pub committee and attended the public meeting.

Also attending was award-winning author Anne Fine. 

Elisa added: “I arrived at the village hall early for the meeting and I was sitting on my own thinking, oh god, is anyone going to turn up? 

“People started to trickle in thick and fast - people were standing at the back and sides, it was just amazing. 

“People came from lots of different villages around us too, which was really nice to see. People from other places have even been saying they think they might want to do this!”

The Grade II listed building, which dates back to the early 1800s, remains on the market with a price tag of £350,000.

Previous plans to convert the site drew in a wave of objections and dozens of signatures from residents, with the loss of the pub branded a “blow to the community”. 

Elisa said the community wants the site back, not only for drinking, but as a place to chat for those living nearby so they can ”come together as a community”.

Read More:

• Heartbroken residents speak of shock as baby fights for life
• Darlington MP vows to clean up historic Brick Train sculpture after vandalism
• Woman in hospital after two-car crash at junction

She now wants to keep up the momentum of the project, hoping to remind those who may have forgotten about making a pledge to support the future of the venue. 

The group is fundraising through a shareholder model, which will help to buy, renovate, and maintain the pub, before finding a tenant to run it.

People can make a pledge via the online form here: https://tinyurl.com/yck59xbh