Richmond Online - 
Richmond Community - Hudswell Community Pub
The George and Dragon is located in the village of Hudswell, Richmondshire and set in Swaledale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The pub has approximately an acre of gardens to the rear with magnificent views over the Swale valley, probably the best views of any pub in the whole of Swaledale. It closed its doors on the 8th August 2008 and has been standing empty ever since.
In June 2009, with no buyer progressing the purchase of the pub, the villagers of Hudswell formed the ‘Hudswell Community Pub Initiative’ with the aim of seeing the pub re-opened and run for the benefit of the community.
The village’s offer of £209,950.00 has been accepted by the vendor and the plan is to raise the money to buy the freehold of the George and Dragon and re-open it as a traditional pub selling local ales from a local brewer, good quality food using local suppliers and providing a venue for traditional pub sports and pastimes, local events and celebrations, music and culture. It is also planned to run a shop from the premises selling local produce and basic supplies. Hudswell has a village hall but no other shop, post office or public facility.
The re-opened George and Dragon will fill this void and be a meeting place, the centre of social life of the village and a thriving business.
How can you help?
On Wednesday 17th February, only seven weeks after launching our campaign to purchase the George and Dragon, the pub became the property of Hudswell Community Pub Ltd. Seventy seven people from the village have joined with a similar number of friends and supporters from near and far to raise the funds needed to buy the George and Dragon. Of course, we need a lot more funding to renovate and refit the pub before it can be re-opened, but investment continues to come in and we have received the great news that, on top of the £20,000 of investment from Key Fund Yorkshire, the Rural Access to Opportunities Fund has approved a grant of £50,000 towards our project. This funding has been given in recognition of our determination that the re-opened George and Dragon will be far more than just a pub, but will offer local services including a small branch library, internet access, a community shop and, perhaps, allotments in the ground behind the pub.
There is a great deal that needs to be done to improve the building, so we are still seeking investors and new members. Please open the Prospectus and investment form if you are interested in becoming a member/shareholder of Hudswell Community Pub Ltd. We have now appointed our tenants Jackie and Margaret who will be bringing with them Annette, a chef trained by a well known TV personality. We wish them all every success in making the George and Dragon a must for locals and visitors alike.
Click here to invest - (pdf 111kb)
Download the prospectus - (pdf 1047kb)
Download the rules - (pdf 73kb)
Introducing Jackie, Margaret and Annette - (pdf 501kb)
Read the Co-op case study (external link)
For more information please e-mail Hudswell Community Pub by clicking the link below.
NO POST PLEASE.
CONTACT US: hudswellpub@btinternet.com
