A historic pub in Roecliffe, near Boroughbridge, is set to reopen on April 12 as lockdown restrictions on hospitality are eased.

The Crown Inn, which dates back to the sixteenth century, will open its doors again next week and has already taken bookings for weddings.

Bars and restaurants will be allowed to serve people outside from April 12 as part of the government’s “roadmap” out of lockdown.

Chris Hannon, managing director of Coastal and Country Inns group, which owns the pub, said he was “absolutely delighted” to be able to welcome customers back.

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Mr Hannon said:

“This has been a devastating year for so many people and we are fervently hoping that the easing of lockdown next month is the beginning of the end of this nightmare.

“We cannot wait to become the beating heart of Roecliffe again. It seems wrong that a tight-knit community such as ours hasn’t had a pub open since Christmas.” 

Mr Hannon added that the pub had taken bookings for weddings from June onwards. Restrictions on social contact are expected to be lifted after June 21.

He said:

“Our first wedding is in late June – and it will be a spectacular celebration.

“We suspect that a number of weddings have been postponed because of covid and we are more than happy and ready to host any re-arranged marriages and ensure they are very special and memorable occasions.”

The pub was taken over by Coastal and Country Inns in September last year.

At the time, Mr Hannon said the company wanted to restore the pub to its former “glory days”.

Its new managers, Lukas and Veronicka Alman, have previously worked at another of the group’s inns in the Peak District.

The pub has been refurbished and is offering food and drink, accommodation and events space.

Emergency teams have been summoned to a home that flooded in Pannal as the Harrogate district wakes up to the effects of Storm Bella.

Property, roads and farmland around the Harrogate district have felt the brunt of a night of strong winds and heavy rain and alerts remain in place.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said in a statement a crew responded to reports of flooding in a basement property in Pannal at 00.26am this morning.

The statement added water was pumped away from an electric switchboard and sandbags were requested from Harrogate Borough Council.

The emergency planning team at Harrogate Borough Council, which responds to serious incidents, tweeted at about 4am:

“Following a call from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue our team have deployed to Pannal to protect a property at imminent risk of flooding.”

No further details are available.

Flood warnings are in place on the rivers Nidd and Ure as well as at Swinney Beck in Masham.

Swinney Beck is a particular area of concern: the government’s flood informations service tweeted just before midnight that properties along Westholme Road in Masham were most at risk. It added:

“Please activate any property flood protection products you may have, such as flood barriers and air brick covers and stay away from fast moving water.”

Read more:

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The flood information service also issued a flood warning for the River Nidd at Low Laithe overnight

“The level of the River Nidd at Pateley Bridge is rising due to persistent rain through the night. Levels are forecast to reach 1.5 metres around 03:00 and will continue to rise until around 06:00 on Sunday morning when the peak at Pateley Bridge is expected to be below 2 metres.

“The B6165 is expected to flood at this level. We are monitoring the situation closely and will update this message on Sunday morning or as the situation changes.”

A flood warning is also in place for the upper River Nidd around Pateley Bridge, with the flood information service advising motorists to plan driving routes to avoid low lying roads near rivers.

Roecliffe caravan park, near the River Ure, is also subject to a flood warning, River levels are expected to rise until mid-afternoon and people are being warned to stay away from fast flowing water.

Nationally, 181 flood alerts and 105 flood warnings are in place.

The Crown Inn at Roecliffe has reopened with new owners and managers in the hope of restoring the pub to its former “glory days”.

The inn, in the village near Boroughbridge, went into voluntary liquidation last year under its former owners. It has been bought by the Coastal and Country Inns group, which owns three other inns in the UK.

Despite its owners saying the midst of a pandemic “could be the worst time to open,” they have spoken of their gratitude for the warm welcome from local residents.

Chris Hannon, managing director of Coastal & Country, said:

“We’ve been looking at it for over a year and we were excited to finally get it. This could be the worst time to open: we are either stupid or very brave, but the world has to keep turning and good pubs will always survive. We don’t want to mess around with it too much – we want to keep the traditional pub charm.

“We’ve had a fantastic welcome from the locals and we want to be a central point. It’s really important to keep it going. It’s nice to buck the trend and open a pub when so many are closing.”

The pub has reopened and hopes to continue to be a central hub for the village.

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Its new managers, Lukas and Veronicka Alman, have previously worked at another of the group’s inns in the Peak District.

The pub has been refurbished and is offering food and drink, accommodation and events space.

All creatures great and small will gather together – virtually – tomorrow, as churches in the Boroughbridge area unite for a pet service.

Rev Karen Gardiner, vicar of the united parishes of Aldborough, Boroughbridge, Dunsforth, Minskip and Roecliffe, is preparing to bring families and their four-legged friends together despite the lockdown.

Animals will receive a blessing in the 4pm online service, which is open to anyone who wants to participate, including those without pets.

Rev Gardiner said: “We’re looking forward to it very much. We’ve actually got the Bishop of Ripon joining us and giving the final blessing, so that’s going to be really nice.

“It should be a fun-packed service. We know we’ve got horses, dogs and cats so far, and we’re hoping for more.”

The united churches in the Boroughbridge area have been offering online services since lockdown began

With three cats in her family home, Rev Gardiner said animals have become particularly important to people during lockdown and she hopes tomorrow’s service will attract people who do not usually go to church. She added:

“Something like a pet service is one of those things that people relate to. At the moment, people’s pets have come to mean such a lot to them, especially if you’re on your own – but even in a family, our cats have been a tremendous emotional support. It feels right to have a chance to say thank you to them.”

Rev Gardiner’s cats will be joining the pet service too

Last year, a pet service at Dunsforth proved very popular among locals and it was scheduled to take place again this year. When lockdown began, rather than cancel, Rev Gardiner decided to move the event online.

This Sunday’s pet service will be conducted via Zoom, but anyone without the technology who wants to join in can send a photo of their pet in advance for inclusion in the service. A written transcript will also be available.

More information about how to join the service can be found on the churches’ Facebook page.