The 17th-century venue was put up for sale in 2024 and local residents have been raising funds to reopen it
The Ivy, Heddington, has been acquired by local residents who plan to turn the venue into a cafe, community space and public house(Image: Hannah Baker)
A community group in Wiltshire has agreed a deal to buy a historic village pub that has been closed for nearly two years. The Ivy Inn, in Heddington, shut in May 2024 when it was put up for sale by owner Wadworth.
The 17th-century venue, which was put on the market for £450,000 plus VAT, is an asset of community value and local residents were given until 2029 to raise the cash to buy it back.
Friends of The Ivy – a community benefit society – confirmed in a statement on Facebook they will formally complete the deal for the pub on Tuesday (February 3).
“A huge vote of thanks needs to go to EVERYONE who has served on the steering/management committee – past and present, the various subgroups and all those who have supported by buying shares and/or attending the meetings and events,” the statement on Facebook said.
“There will be a formal handover and ‘presentation of the keys’ with Toby Bartholomew [Wadworth’s managing director] next week, probably on Wednesday, but we’ll let you know for definite when this is confirmed. Well done all!! Now the hard work really starts!”
The Friends of The Ivy was formed in 2024 by local residents, with the aim of purchasing and re-opening the building as a community-owned pub, café, and hub, in a bid to prevent potential conversion into alternative use.
According to the Friends of The Ivy website, the campaign group’s goal is to create a “vibrant, sustainable focal point” for the village and surrounding areas.
Last November, the group launched a share offer and raised £400,000 in just six weeks – enough money for the acquisition and essential refurbishment of the building. Following the successful raise, the group extended its share offer deadline to reach its optimal fundraising target of £600,000 as outlined in its business plan.
Pauline Crane, a Stockley resident who is a community shareholder in The Ivy, told the Business Live: “The steering group and committee, and everyone else involved in the Friends of The Ivy campaign, has worked really hard to put everything in place to support our community to buy the pub.
“We will work together as a community to make it thrive. The Ivy is an important historical building and it’s the centre of our village. It will be amazing to see it come back to life and be the hub it once was. This is an incredible milestone.”
It is understood the plan is to run the historic building as a café during the day and a pub in the evenings, with local residents also “keen” on the idea of live music, according to Dr Paul Moyle-Harris, chair of Friends of The Ivy.
Speaking about the fundraise last year, he said: “This higher level of funding will enable us to complete the full, necessary renovations and provide the robust working capital detailed in our business plan, ensuring The Ivy becomes a sustainable, high-quality community hub for future generations in Heddington.”