The Royal Oak, Hail Weston

Royal Oak Pub

Royal Oak Pub, Hail Weston, 2002
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
EU Parliament East of England

The Royal Oak is an 18th-century public house in the village of Hail Weston, Cambridgeshire. It is the last remaining pub in the village, which is home to a population of around 610,[1] and has a long history as a community centre.[2][3]

A number of local traditions revolve around the Royal Oak. These include the New Year's Day go-kart contest, where homemade push-karts are raced along the high street;[4] an Easter Egg hunt in the pub gardens; the local Heartsease dances that takes place in and outside the pub;[5] the 'onion bowl' where onions smoothed and prepped in the Royal Oak's kitchens are rolled (in a variation on ten-pin bowling); the 'egg dump' - a more dramatic version of conkers using eggs; a charity bike ride (raising funds for Action Medical Research); a fun run; and regular celebrations at national holidays - such as Christmas, Easter and New Year.[6]

New Year go-kart races, Hail Weston, Cambridgeshire, 1997

The Royal Oak is a grade II listed building with a traditional thatched roof.[7] Inside, the exposed beams and posts have been preserved, as well as the fireplace. According to surveyors, it was built around 1750.

In November 2011, the Royal Oak was sold by the Charles Wells Pub Company.[8] On January 1, 2012 it was closed as a pub, and in March 2012 it was put up for auction - but failed to sell. It was auctioned again in May 2012, and again failed to sell.[9]

At the same time, a Hail Weston community group formed (the Hail Weston Community Pub Society)[10] (HWCPS) to attempt to buy the Royal Oak and run it as a community pub.

In January 2013 it was registered as an Asset of Community Value under the Localism Act 2011,[11] and in November 2013 the Hail Weston Community Pub Society made a formal offer for the Royal Oak.[12] The offer was not accepted.[13] HWCPS made another, significantly higher, offer in 2015, but this was also rejected.

After several years of negotiations, a group of villagers (and members of HWCPS) got together in 2016 to make a fresh bid to buy the Royal Oak, and on 31 January 2017 the sale finally went through.[14]

Renovation and restoration work began in the following weeks, with the assistance of roughly 50 volunteers. The Royal Oak reopened on Friday 19 May 2017.[15][16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=11124118&c=PE19+5JW&d=16&e=13&g=6406167&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&p=2&q=1&r=0&s=1490019559304&enc=1&dsFamilyId=2473
  2. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-12-29.
  3. ↑ http://hailweston.org.uk/amenities/royal-oak/
  4. ↑ St Neots Town Crier: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Huntingdon-St-Ives-St-Neots/VIDEO-Go-karts-make-a-come-back-in-annual-village-tradition-in-Hail-Weston-20140108140000.htm
  5. ↑ http://www.heartseasedance.co.uk/about/
  6. ↑ BuzzFeed. How A Scrappy Community Bought Its Own Pub... Well, Almost: https://www.buzzfeed.com/hailwestoncommunitypub/how-a-scrappy-community-bought-its-own-pub-well-m2p0
  7. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-12-29.
  8. ↑ Cheffins Estate Agents: http://www.cheffins.co.uk/lot/sold-prior---royal-oak-high-street-hail-weston-cambs-pe19-5jw-535944-propertyauctions-0
  9. ↑ Network Auctions: http://auctioneertemplates.eigroup.co.uk/Results.aspx?a=389&c=ela&au=16928
  10. ↑ Hail Weston Community Pub Society: http://www.savetheroyaloak.org.uk/
  11. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-03-23. Retrieved 2014-03-22.
  12. ↑ http://www.savetheroyaloak.org.uk/
  13. ↑ Hunts Post: Villagers bid to buy Huntingdonshire pub rejected: http://www.huntspost.co.uk/news/latest-news/villagers_bid_to_buy_huntingdonshire_pub_rejected_1_3127029
  14. ↑ http://www.huntspost.co.uk/news/village_pub_set_to_re_open_after_community_group_steps_in_with_offer_1_4889481
  15. ↑ http://www.thegoodpubguide.co.uk/pub/view/Royal-Oak-PE19-5JW
  16. ↑ http://www.royaloakhailweston.com/

Coordinates: 52°14′44″N 0°17′42″W / 52.2455°N 0.2950°W / 52.2455; -0.2950

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