The Plough Inn: The Durrington pub that has the community at its heart

The Plough Inn, on Bulford Road, was owned by Enterprise Inns, but the company was looking to sell it. 

Durrington resident Bruce Turner and his business partner Paul Galam-Bamfield then applied to Wiltshire Council to have the pub registered as an asset of community value.

This gives communities a right to identify a building or other land that they believe to be of importance to their community’s social well-being. The aim is that, if the asset comes up for sale, then they will be given a fair chance to make a bid to buy it on the open market.

The Plough Inn (Image: The Plough)

Bruce said: “We looked into raising the funds so we could buy it and keep it for the community. Enterprise Inns had put it up for sale several times. It ended up at auction but an anonymous buyer purchased the freehold.

“We eventually purchased the lease but then had to make the pub profitable again.”

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The pub needed a lot of restorative work including upgrading the garden. It now has plenty of seating, along with a barbecue and a dedicated non-smoking area. The furniture inside the pub was also upgraded. 

Garden at the Plough Inn (Image: The Plough)

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Bruce said: “It was a lot of hard work. There were blocked sewage pipes and dry rot and some sheds in the garden needed to be demolished. Everyone pitched in and it paid off. Many of our regulars had the necessary skills and often, did the work for free. It was amazing."

“Paul and I had a vision. We believed it should be for the community and we wanted it to be family-run and welcoming. We ran it as a non-profit venture."

They agreed it must not become a ‘man’s pub’ and banned people from sitting at the bar. Now, it works as a community pub with families coming in and women on their own. 

He said: “We met the current managers Karen and Mark Smith through another contact of ours. They didn’t have any experience in running a pub, but we just knew that they could make it work. It has now become a really popular pub and people respect it."

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Karen and Mark have since become directors. The plan is that they will take over the business completely by the end of the year.  

Bruce added: “More people should consider taking out an asset of community value if they are worried about losing their village pub. On a selfish level, I believe a local pub adds value to an area and increases property value. But it retains a feeling of community. That’s important.”