FOUR generations of a family who had never run a pub are celebrating six months of successfully bringing the derelict Butchers Arms, in Carhampton, back to life and turning it into a busy village hub.

After lying empty for 18 months, the iconic 17th century building now hosts a village store, café, a library, and a packed calendar of social and community events.

Publican Nick Moores, who moved in with four generations of his family to reopen the pub last November, said: “The support from local people has been unbelievable.

“The Butchers Arms is now a true village hub for everybody from children and families to older residents.”

Four generations of the Moores family now run the restored Butchers Arms pub in Carhampton. PHOTO: Nina Dodd.
Four generations of the Moores family now run the restored Butchers Arms pub in Carhampton. PHOTO: Nina Dodd. (Nina Dodd)

The family comprises Nick and his son Jasper, his parents Tina and Frank, and his 90-year-old father Rex, who all took the gamble of selling their Manchester homes and moving 200 miles to West Somerset to reconnect with family links.

Nick Moores said: “My father was born in Williton and we have relatives in Washford.

“It was always our dream to move down here.

“I have passed the pub when on holiday and seen it open and shut so many times.”

The family has worked to make the pub a real hub of its community by adding services to help people socialise and connect, including a small store to replace Carhampton’s village shop, which closed in 2022.

The shop has recently broadened its range, stocking more chilled goods and a growing selection of products from local suppliers.

A village store in the Butchers Arms pub, in Carhampton, provides an important service for villagers.
A village store in the Butchers Arms pub, in Carhampton, provides an important service for villagers. PHOTO: Nina Dodd. (Nina Dodd)

To support older residents, the Butchers Arms has opened a new community library where people can sit, meet, read, and relax.

Expert guidance and access to a grant from the non-profit organisation Pub is The Hub, supported by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), has meant the pub has been able to expand its services to local residents and community groups.

DBT has supported the pub as part of its Hospitality Support Fund, which aims to strengthen rural communities by helping pubs diversify and remain sustainable community assets.

Pub is The Hub regional advisor Roger Belle said: “The family have brought the pub back to the village and it is vital for keeping people in this rural community connected.

A café area in the Butchers Arms, Carhampton, is a place for local people to meet and chat. PHOTO: Nina Dodd.
A café area in the Butchers Arms, Carhampton, is a place for local people to meet and chat. PHOTO: Nina Dodd. (Nina Dodd)

“Whether somebody is popping in for a pint of milk or a pint of beer, this is a shining example of what a great rural pub can be.”

Employment Rights and Consumer Protection Minister Kate Dearden said: “Rural pubs like the Butchers Arms are vital to their communities.

“Whether it is by creating jobs or providing residents and tourists, like those in Carhampton, with a place to come together and socialise.

“This is exactly why we are working to secure the future of rural pubs with our Hospitality Support Fund.

“Every pub will now get 15 per cent off its new business rates bill on top of the £4.3 billion support package announced in the Budget.”

Pub is The Hub has helped more than 600 pubs diversify, with more than 250 of them benefitting from help through the Community Services Fund.