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23
Dec
Community pub between Ripon and Boroughbridge opens
A community-run pub has opened its doors in Skelton-on-Ure.
The Black Lion community pub and hub is backed and run entirely by volunteers who took on the task of reviving the venue after it was granted asset of community value status in 2022.
The group then raised the funds to buy the pub from Admiral Taverns in March this year.
Pledges, which amounted to £240,000 by July 2023, were topped up by a £300,000 government grant.
After an extensive refurbishment, which is yet to be completed, the site reopened on Friday (December 20) for the first time since it closed in December 2019.
A post shared to the pub’s Facebook page said the café and shop elements of the venture were ready to welcome customers.
The café serves coffee, cakes and snacks, the post said, adding the shop was currently stocked with essentials, but stock would “grow with demand”.
It added:
The building is still work in progress but that’s part of our charm - you can see for yourself how far we have come.
The shop will offer locally sourced products, shareholders previously said.
The Black Lion opened over the weekend, however, a recent Facebook post said those behind the venture would be "taking a little break".
It will reopen for business on January 3 at 10am.
Members of the community have transformed the pub.
Shareholders issued an update on the progress made at the pub in November, which included the major refurbishment work.
As part of the makeover, the pub now boasts a brand-new bar and drinks cellar. A spokesperson for the Black Lion committee said at the time:
Our new cellar and fully refurbished bar will enable us to offer an even greater variety of drinks, including some of the best traditional and modern lagers and ales available.
It’s a perfect blend of old and new, which is exactly what we’re aiming for with the refurbishment as a whole.
Landscaping work is well underway at the Black Lion.
Extensive landscaping work is also underway at the site, which will include a beer garden and a seating area, as well as a play area.
Photos of the landscaping work (above) were shared on social media last weekend.
The Stray Ferret approached the Black Lion at Skelton-on-Ure for comment but we had not received a response at the time of publication.
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