Villagers urged to chip in to buy local pub

The residents of a small Cumbrian village are being urged to all chip in to buy their local pub and save it from being consigned to history.

When the Lamplugh Tip, in the village of Lamplugh, near Cleator Moor, rang for its very last last orders at the beginning of August, villagers were devastated to see one of the last bastions of local rural life close.

Local man, Peter Maher, had said all is not lost, however. If the people of the village can raise enough money to buy the freehold of the pub then it can be run as a community pub, in the same way community shops have been kept open.

"It would be good to have a local pub that reflected the aspirations of local people," he explained.

"It would serve as a venue for social gatherings – a meeting place where people could gather for a good crack in a comfortable environment and support the local network.

"It would provide services for tourists and visitors to bring much-needed cash into the local economy, while providing work and volunteering opportunities for local people.

Since closing its doors for the last time it is believed that the pub has already been stripped of its furnishings and kitchen.