Pulling Together: The Community Rallying to Save the Horse & Groom

Sitting outside the shuttered Horse & Groom in East Woodlands, it’s clear this isn’t simply a story about an empty village pub.

For Amie-Jo Angel and Andy Sully, it’s about preserving a place that generations of locals have called the heart of their community.

Together, they’re helping to lead a campaign to have the Horse & Groom listed as an Asset of Community Value (ACV), giving local people the opportunity to shape its future should it come onto the market.

For many people, the Horse & Groom wasn’t simply somewhere to enjoy a pint.

It was where birthdays were celebrated, friendships were formed, neighbours became friends and generations of local families gathered around well-worn tables that felt more like someone’s living room than a village pub.

Now, after standing empty since the pandemic, local residents are coming together in the hope of giving the much-loved 18th century inn a second chance.

“It wasn’t just somewhere to eat and drink,” says Amie-Jo. “It was home for a lot of people. People have described it as like walking into your grandma’s house. It was cosy, welcoming and somewhere you felt safe.”

That sense of belonging is something campaign supporters believe has become even more important since the pandemic.

“I think people are longing for connection,” she says. “We’ve all become a bit more isolated. The response we’ve had has shown just how much people miss having somewhere to gather and make memories together.”

More than a village pub

The Horse & Groom has long served not only East Woodlands but the surrounding villages, providing a meeting place for people across this rural corner of Somerset.

Andy says its importance extends far beyond its walls.

“This side of the Frome bypass is quite spread out, but lots of people live here,” he explains. “People came from all around to meet at the pub. It brought the community together.”

That role is exactly what the campaign hopes will be recognised through gaining Asset of Community Value status.

An ACV listing would acknowledge the Horse & Groom’s importance as a community asset. While it wouldn’t force a sale, if the pub were put on the market it would give an eligible community group time to prepare a bid before it could be sold elsewhere.

The campaign has drawn inspiration from successful community-owned pubs across Somerset, as well as projects such as Mayday Saxonvale, where local people have been given the chance to invest in shaping the future of an important community asset.

“There are different models,” says Andy. “There are lots of successful community-owned pubs in Somerset. The idea is to give the community time and space to decide what they want to do.”

A thriving business before tragedy struck

One of the strongest arguments behind the campaign is that the Horse & Groom didn’t close because people stopped using it.

Instead, its closure followed an extraordinary set of circumstances.

“It was still a thriving pub in 2020,” says Amie-Jo. “Sadly, the landlord passed away in the same week as the first Covid lockdown. The landlady was suddenly left trying to cope on her own under impossible circumstances and made the difficult decision to close.”

For many locals, the conversation about reopening the pub never really ended.

“When we launched the campaign I was surprised by how quickly people got behind it,” she says. “But at the same time, maybe I wasn’t surprised because people have been talking about the Horse & Groom for years.”

Within just 48 hours, around 75 people had pledged their support. Today, that number has grown to well over 100, with memories and messages continuing to arrive.

Looking to the future

If the Horse & Groom can one day reopen, supporters hope it will become even more than it once was.

Alongside serving good food, local ales and providing a welcoming place to meet, campaigners have suggested hosting clubs, community events, workshops and making use of the surrounding land and former stables for everything from countryside courses to community projects.

“There are so many possibilities,” says Andy. “There’s a national movement called Pub is the Hub because these buildings can offer so much more than food and drink. They can become real community centres.”

Amie-Jo believes those opportunities are especially important for rural communities.

“It’s somewhere people can socialise, somewhere to hold events and somewhere that helps tackle isolation,” she says. “Small villages need somewhere local where people can come together.”

A community effort

The campaign is continuing to gather memories, photographs and offers of support from local residents.

Whether someone has practical skills to offer, can help with administration or simply has a story about what the Horse & Groom meant to them, every contribution helps demonstrate the pub’s importance to the community.

A decision on the Asset of Community Value application is expected by mid-September.

As our conversation draws to a close, Andy reflects on what’s really at stake.

“What we don’t want is for it all to be parcelled up and sold off to developers like so many rural pubs have been,” he says. “Because once it’s gone, it’s gone forever. No one’s going to build another village pub here.”

Looking across at the handsome 18th century building, it’s hard not to understand why so many people have rallied behind the campaign.

This isn’t simply about saving bricks and mortar. It’s about protecting a place where memories were made, friendships flourished and a community found its home.

If Amie-Jo, Andy and their growing band of supporters have their way, the Horse & Groom could one day become the heart of East Woodlands once again.

Written by Daisy Steel

Journalist, columnist and podcaster