October 2020 - I paid a short visit to Stokenham, a nearby village, to photograph some of the thatched buildings there so that I could do a post on my blog about the straw animals traditionally placed on thatched roofs in this part of the world. (Foxes, Owls, and Other Birds)
Little did I know then, that almost exactly a year later, most of those buildings would go up in smoke, in a large fire that destroyed them in a matter of hours. The pub and the adjoining four cottages were destroyed but thankfully nobody was hurt.
October 2021
The pub, The Tradesman's Arms, and the adjoining four cottages were listed buildings and so they would be rebuilt and restored in every detail, in a painstaking and long rebuilding process that is still not complete.
August 2022 -The rebuild was well underway and the pub was completely obscured by weatherproof material while the internal structure was restored.
At this stage the row of cottages were still a bit behind in the process, simply having blue tarps draped over them since the fire.
In fact nature was trying to get a foothold in the old thatch by this time.
Earlier this month, February 2023 - Things were looking a lot more promising. The huge cover over the pub is now gone as the roof has been replaced and the building is now weatherproof.
The cover has now been installed over the row of cottages next door, as work starts there.
The oldest thatched section of the pub has it's new thatch in place and the later part of the building has it's slate roof.
The latest information I have is that the aim is to reopen the pub this summer, possibly as early as July. The original sign above the door has remained throughout the fire and restoration so I am hoping it stays and that before long I may be walking under it to get a cold pint of cider.
