The future of Erlestoke’s sole pub, the George and Dragon, hangs in the balance as proposals to transform the cherished 17th-century inn into residential homes face staunch community resistance.
The Grade II listed pub, which closed its doors in 2015, was acquired in 2020 by the Chaffinch Pub Company, who aimed to revive the business. However, their efforts were stymied when Wiltshire Council rejected their application to open a beer garden in the pub’s car park, citing concerns over potential road congestion from visitor parking. Additional challenges, including the building’s heritage status, rising construction costs, and an unforgiving market, further complicated revival plans.
Earlier this year, the pub—previously designated an Asset of Community Value by Wiltshire Council—was placed back on the market with the option for purchase extended to Erlestoke Hub Ltd, a community group committed to preserving the village’s social heart. The group expressed dismay over the asking price and attributed the pub’s struggles to poor management, steep rental fees, and missed opportunities such as not utilizing the adjoining four-room stable block for tourism accommodation.
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In a strongly worded letter to planning authorities, Erlestoke Hub chair Keith Lewcock emphasized, “There is a genuine desire across Erlestoke to retain the George and Dragon as a pub, and we strongly oppose any change of use that would convert it into housing.”
The current owners propose converting the building into five homes: two one-bedroom and one two-bedroom units within the main pub and two additional one-bedroom homes in the stable block. They argue that this plan would safeguard the historic structure from neglect without altering its exterior appearance, while addressing local housing needs.
Wiltshire Council had previously turned down a similar conversion proposal in 2015, acknowledging the detrimental impact losing the village’s only pub would have on the community.
As debate continues, Erlestoke faces a critical choice between preserving a treasured social landmark or adapting the space to meet residential demands—a decision with lasting implications for the village’s identity and cohesion.