A SMALL rural village in the Wye Valley has warned it is at a critical crossroads in its long-running battle to reopen its community pub, with volunteers fearing the Brockweir Inn could be lost for good without further support.

Diane Orchard, who is involved in efforts to revive the historic pub, contacted The Forester after reading reports about the growing number of pub closures across the country.

She said Brockweir’s experience highlights the very real challenges facing rural communities trying to protect places that are about far more than profit.

The Brockweir Inn, a 16th Century listed building, closed five years ago and was purchased in December 2024 by the Brockweir Inn Community Benefit Society after 395 people invested close to £400,000 to save it for the community.

While the purchase was hailed as a major achievement, the project has since stalled due to a lack of funds to complete the necessary renovation work.

Ms Orchard said the closure of the village’s only pub has had a profound effect on residents, particularly older people and those living alone.

“For a rural village such as ours, the pub is far more than a business,” she said: “It was one of our very few points of social contact, and for some residents it was the only place where they regularly saw other people. Its closure has increased loneliness and isolation, especially among older residents.”

She explained that although the building was bought as a successful going concern and partially renovated, finances ran out before the work could be completed, leaving the pub shut and the community without its traditional meeting place.

Volunteers have continued to fundraise, but Ms Orchard said changes in government have made the situation more difficult.

Several grants that the group had hoped to apply for were either withdrawn or became unavailable, making it increasingly challenging for small, volunteer-led organisations to move projects like this forward.

In response, residents have turned to creative fundraising initiatives to keep the campaign alive. One of the most eye-catching has been the launch of a community calendar, inspired by the style of Jilly Cooper’s novels.

The calendar, organised by local volunteers, has attracted attention far beyond Brockweir, with copies sold across the UK and overseas.

Alongside the calendar, the group has raised money through live music events, village auctions and other community activities, bringing people together after years of uncertainty.

Supporters say the fundraising has helped rebuild a sense of togetherness, even while the long-term future of the pub remains uncertain. The aim is to refurbish the listed building in phases as funds allow, with planning permission already granted for the works.

Henry Morland, chairman of the Brockweir Inn Community Benefit Society, has previously said the group was overwhelmed by the level of support shown locally and further afield.

Ms Orchard hopes that by speaking out, Brockweir’s story will shine a light on the wider pressures facing rural villages trying to hold on to the spaces that bind them together.