Jump to content

The Bridge at Napton


Dr Bob

Featured Posts

For the last year (and maybe more) the Bridge (Pub) at Napton has been shut - and very derelict looking. Over the past 2 months there has been a lot of activity there with white vans and skips outside filling up regularly. Anyone know if it is to re-open as a pub in the near future?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There was an application for five houses to be built where the pub is - permission was declined so not sure what is currently proceeding.

 

Just found this >> https://apps.stratford.gov.uk/eplanning/AppDetail.aspx?appkey=OQ5LTJPMHO300

Change of use to a single dwelling.

Edited by CV32
Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, CV32 said:

There was an application for five houses to be built where the pub is - permission was declined so not sure what is currently proceeding.

 

Just found this >> https://apps.stratford.gov.uk/eplanning/AppDetail.aspx?appkey=OQ5LTJPMHO300

Change of use to a single dwelling.

Thanks CV32 - and thanks for the time spent searching the planning applications. That is a real shame. I suppose pub business there would be very seasonal but it was a nice location for a pub.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

People don't use pubs anymore or if they do its just two nights a week and pubs cannot survive on two nights a week. Pubs have been closing for years and will continue to do so people now have 84 million " Friends " they haver err never met on Farcebook.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great shame we spent much time and money in The Bridge.  I did notice the application down played how successfull it was, it was still very active later than 1999 as stated.

I agree lots of pubs closing and more for sale every where you look, but they have to be popular enough to make money for the owners and many are not.

 

  • Happy 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It has been an on-off place for at least three or four years: open "under new management", who posted on here for a while if I remember aright, then closed, open in (I think) September 2016 when we moored nearby and went in there, then closed again. I've never been to it by road but wasn't parking (lack of) a difficulty?

Napton's other waterside pub, the Folly, is a bit off the beaten road track but has extensive parking space. Even that was closed for a while (after some mismanagement, if memory serves) but when we've been in over the last couple of years it's always been well populated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

45 minutes ago, Athy said:

It has been an on-off place for at least three or four years: open "under new management", who posted on here for a while if I remember aright, then closed, open in (I think) September 2016 when we moored nearby and went in there, then closed again. I've never been to it by road but wasn't parking (lack of) a difficulty?

Napton's other waterside pub, the Folly, is a bit off the beaten road track but has extensive parking space. Even that was closed for a while (after some mismanagement, if memory serves) but when we've been in over the last couple of years it's always been well populated.

The Folly has been quite busy most of the time we have been there - and certainly always busy along the tow path. Their pies are worth the visit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is activity at the Bridge and it looks as if the inside is being ripped out, we must hope it reopens as a pub/restaurant. The kings head up the road is always busy as is the Folly whilst the pub in Napton village is being turned into a house. 

Used the Bridge for years when John kept it and used to have our works booze ups there and wintered our NB Thor outside once.

must take some doing to fail in a canalside pub.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Dr Bob said:

The Folly has been quite busy most of the time we have been there - and certainly always busy along the tow path. Their pies are worth the visit.

Perhaps you were a regular some time ago? It hasn't been "The Folly Pie Pub" for , I would guess, three years now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

37 minutes ago, Dav and Pen said:

 

must take some doing to fail in a canalside pub.

I would say they are prime sites location wise to fail. Most get very little trade from the canal as a percentage of trade and on days like today in nov/dec/jan/feb/march speaking from experience Joe Public evaporates into thin air but the overheads don't!! The location of this pub is not good in this day and age and has virtualy no chimney pots near it which is a killer this day and age and its not in a highly tourist populated area. My last business was literaly on the canal bank and we were very busy all summer but only about  fifteen  percent of my trade was from canal boats even though we were situated at a hire base. In the winter virtualy zero came from the canal so he canal as a location in itself is not enough. A pretty location or building can help neither of which apply to this venue :cheers:

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 minutes ago, Athy said:

Perhaps you were a regular some time ago? It hasn't been "The Folly Pie Pub" for , I would guess, three years now.

Make that nearer 10. When we first boated in the area 1990 ish the pies were fantastic, we use to take friend there to show it off, but then it  slowly went down hill over the years as  did the general quality of the food. I don't much like it now, but the present landlord has done wonders reviving it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is always sad when a pub that survived hundreds of years closes down, it is the price they are forced to sell the beer at that is the problem. 

When I was 19 the price of a pint in suburban West London had just reached a pound a pint, at that time a case of 24 takeaway beers was around £20.

30 years or so later a pint in a pub is 3-4 possibly even five times the price whereas the case of 24 Beers can be bought in a supermarket for £10-£15 half to three quarters what it was 3 decades ago.

I'm not saying pub prices are too high by inflationary standards but the supermarket beer is so cheap that no one bothers to go out for a pint these days.

  • Greenie 1
  • Happy 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Bewildered said:

It is always sad when a pub that survived hundreds of years closes down, it is the price they are forced to sell the beer at that is the problem. 

When I was 19 the price of a pint in suburban West London had just reached a pound a pint, at that time a case of 24 takeaway beers was around £20.

30 years or so later a pint in a pub is 3-4 possibly even five times the price whereas the case of 24 Beers can be bought in a supermarket for £10-£15 half to three quarters what it was 3 decades ago.

I'm not saying pub prices are too high by inflationary standards but the supermarket beer is so cheap that no one bothers to go out for a pint these days.

Very true. You also get Joe Public saying rubbish like " I can buy that for less than a quid at Tescos!! Well go and sit in the aisle at Tescos says I.  Many people have absolutely no idea where the money comes from to pay large running costs and wages for the owners/managers etc who aren't there working all day for the good of their health, many of these same people of course earn more than the bloke in the pub serving them does but that doesn't count :rolleyes: 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Very true. You also get Joe Public saying rubbish like " I can buy that for less than a quid at Tescos!! Well go and sit in the aisle at Tescos says I.  Many people have absolutely no idea where the money comes from to pay large running costs and wages for the owners/managers etc who aren't there working all day for the good of their health, many of these same people of course earn more than the bloke in the pub serving them does but that doesn't count :rolleyes: 

It is also the rediculous changes that Margret Thatcher made to the busines rates system that is still crippling the pub trade.

 

i wouldn't mind but buying tinned beer is a false economy, if I go to the pub and have 6 pints I will be quite merry after 8 I will be well on my way to a blissful night, but on tinned beer I can polish off a case of 12 without even feeling a tingle (that isn't a euphemism:D)

  • Happy 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Bridge at Napton has outlived its usefulness. As mrsmelly observed there's no trade from the canal in winter and it's not within walking distance of any kind of built up area so they're just not going to get the footfall to keep a business going whether it belongs to a PubCo or not. 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We used to drive out from the very north side of Coventry to the Napton Bridge Inn for Sunday lunch in the 80s when I was a kid. We could only have known it was there because we used to do an annual hire from Gordon's Pleasure Cruisers. I am pretty sure our route would have taken us past the Blue Lias too but I don't think I ever went there with the family. In the 80s I don't think the Folly was trading as a pub.

JP

Edited by Captain Pegg
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

We used to drive out from the very north side of Coventry to the Napton Bridge Inn for Sunday lunch in the 80s when I was a kid. We could only have known it was there because we used to do an annual hire from Gordon's Pleasure Cruisers. I am pretty sure our route would have taken us past the Blue Lias too but I don't think I ever went there with the family. In the 80s I don't think the Folly was trading as a pub.

JP

Used to ride out on motorbikes late seventies to both of those pubs. The Lias then was ran by an ex war pilot (Sandy?) When he died a chap who ran a popular bikers pub in Coventry, the Dive, brought it..A group of us rode out a couple of weeks later to be greeted with a no bikers sign...what a knob.

P.s yes I know I should be over this by now.

Ian.

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, ianali said:

Used to ride out on motorbikes late seventies to both of those pubs. The Lias then was ran by an ex war pilot (Sandy?) When he died a chap who ran a popular bikers pub in Coventry, the Dive, brought it..A group of us rode out a couple of weeks later to be greeted with a no bikers sign...what a knob.

P.s yes I know I should be over this by now.

Ian.

We stopped at the lias this autumn. Reasonable beer and nice surroundings but the food was disappointing. Always room to park the boat outside but it must be a nightmare inside when all the holiday camp people are there. Much prefer the 2 boats just down the cut. Good beer and food.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, Athy said:

Perhaps you were a regular some time ago? It hasn't been "The Folly Pie Pub" for , I would guess, three years now.

No, this is the first year we have been going. Hadn't realized about the pie history. They must be trying to beef their pies up again. If I heard correctly their pie chef is young. In his teens. Really good. Worth a visit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

No, this is the first year we have been going. Hadn't realized about the pie history. They must be trying to beef their pies up again. If I heard correctly their pie chef is young. In his teens. Really good. Worth a visit.

Interesting information, thank you. We have not been there since last September, though that was only for a drink, so I don't know if their menu was placing renewed emphasis on pies.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

I would say they are prime sites location wise to fail. Most get very little trade from the canal as a percentage of trade and on days like today in nov/dec/jan/feb/march speaking from experience Joe Public evaporates into thin air but the overheads don't!! The location of this pub is not good in this day and age and has virtualy no chimney pots near it which is a killer this day and age and its not in a highly tourist populated area. My last business was literaly on the canal bank and we were very busy all summer but only about  fifteen  percent of my trade was from canal boats even though we were situated at a hire base. In the winter virtualy zero came from the canal so he canal as a location in itself is not enough. A pretty location or building can help neither of which apply to this venue :cheers:

I don't disagree with that, but one thing I think it is worth adding.  The Kings Head just up the road is very busy all year round and days of the week.  I don't believe that it is nearer to housing as the car park is usually full to overflowing, so people are driving there not walking round to the local pub.  The big difference is that the Kings Head is now quite smart and focuses a lot on food, and is as much a restaurant as a pub really.  The majority of thriving pubs have gone down this route.

  • Greenie 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, john6767 said:

I don't disagree with that, but one thing I think it is worth adding.  The Kings Head just up the road is very busy all year round and days of the week.  I don't believe that it is nearer to housing as the car park is usually full to overflowing, so people are driving there not walking round to the local pub.  The big difference is that the Kings Head is now quite smart and focuses a lot on food, and is as much a restaurant as a pub really.  The majority of thriving pubs have gone down this route.

Sad but also true.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 minutes ago, john6767 said:

I don't disagree with that, but one thing I think it is worth adding.  The Kings Head just up the road is very busy all year round and days of the week.  I don't believe that it is nearer to housing as the car park is usually full to overflowing, so people are driving there not walking round to the local pub.  The big difference is that the Kings Head is now quite smart and focuses a lot on food, and is as much a restaurant as a pub really.  The majority of thriving pubs have gone down this route.

I'd add that the pub owner has a huge part to play in its success. My local was packed under the old gaffer. It took the new owner about 3 months to close it down. It's not easy running a successful pub.

Ian.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.