Britain’s only grade 2-listed pub was run by the countries longest serving landlady Flossie Lane until her death at the age of 94 in June 2009. The Sun Inn is one of the last surviving ‘parlour pubs’ and it has attracted national interest over the years as a result of its historic value. There is no bar or serving hatch in the pub, beer was brought from stillage in the kitchen by Flossie herself and regulars enjoyed their drink with a chat in what was in affect Flossie’s sitting room. The pub is listed on CAMRA’s national inventory of historic pub interiors and it is considered by many to be the best example of an unspoiled UK pub.

The Sun Inn never pretended to offer its visitors any frills, its charm was always its simplicity and timelessness, something its regulars are keen to preserve. The pub was so loved by the locals who frequented it that following Flossie’s death a Save the Sun Inn campaign was launched and the pub continued to open each evening thanks to the dedicated volunteers. The campaign was backed by CAMRA and ourselves and when rumours began to circulate that the pub may be purchased for development Nick Davis, head brewer at Hobsons and Gary Seymour, Sun Inn regular and Leintwardine business man decided to buy the pub in a bid to secure its history and Flossie’s legacy.

Since the Sun Inn was purchased by Nick and Gary it has continued to open each night to loyal and relieved customers. Hobsons Best Bitter is still served straight from stillage in Flossie’s kitchen and the locals can still enjoy a chat in her sitting room all be it without the lady herself. Nick and Gary are committed to preserving the timeless charm of the pub and have vowed to keep it as “a kind of living museum where good beers can be enjoyed in a historic environment”. They unveiled plans in January to add a sympathetic timber pavilion to the rear of the premises. The extension is intended to help make the pub self-supporting and it will include a traditional bar area, comfortable seating, a games area and modern toilets. The pavilion will be built using eco friendly energy features including rainwater harvesting for flushing toilets, solar heating for hot water and photovoltaic cells to generate energy.

Nick and Gary’s ideas were presented to villagers and Herefordshire Council last month and they were well received. Nick and Gary commented “We all know and wholeheartedly agree that The Sun represents a precious piece of our heritage and we all want to maintain it; but for it to remain intact, preserved as a working example of social history, we need to be sure that any building work or change to the fabric or interior of the existing is carried out in a sympathetic way”. No date has been set for work to begin but keep checking back her for the latest news.

To read more about the Save the Sun Inn campaign please visit www.savethesun.org.uk.

The Sun Inn now has it’s own website www.sunin-leintwardine.co.uk.