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Ashorne Villagers Race to Raise £100,000 to Reopen the Cottage Tavern

Ashorne, near Warwick, has until 31 October to raise at least £100,000 in community shares to buy and reopen the Cottage Tavern, closed since January 2024.

By Alex Harrington 1 min read Source: The Cottage Tavern Community Benefit Society
The Cottage Tavern pub in Ashorne
The Cottage Tavern, Ashorne, in 2015. Photo: Stuart Shepherd, CC BY-SA 2.0

Villagers in Ashorne, about five miles south of Warwick, have until 31 October to raise at least £100,000 in community shares to buy and reopen the Cottage Tavern, the village’s only pub, which closed in January 2024.

The Cottage Tavern Community Benefit Society, registered with the Financial Conduct Authority, says the pub has been at the heart of village life for around 200 years. Its share offer has raised £57,250 from shareholders so far, plus £9,256 from other sources, according to the society’s own website.

How the share offer works

  • The minimum investment is £250, and the offer closes on Saturday 31 October.
  • The society says investors may qualify for tax reliefs, subject to HMRC approval, and plans to pay interest at 1% above base rate once the pub is profitable, which its business plan estimates will take about three years. Returns aren’t guaranteed, and the society recommends independent financial advice.
  • Reaching £100,000 would help unlock match funding from other sources, campaigners told the BBC.

The BBC, which first reported the deadline, says the pub’s freehold is on the market for £299,000, and that the group puts the cost of buying, refurbishing and reopening it at about £380,000. Ashorne is one of our villages around Warwick.

Alex Harrington