Burton in Lonsdale Community Inn
The village of Burton in Lonsdale is working together to bring the last remaining pub, The Punch Bowl, into community ownership. After a year-long campaign, we are now working on the final purchase arrangements and the refurbishment and re-opening what will become our new Community Asset.
For the latest information about how to get involved, search the GET INVOLVED page.
Burton in Lonsdale nestles on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. Burton has been called both "the first and last village in Yorkshire", tucked into the hillside above the River Greta, and at the cusp of the county boundaries of both Lancashire and Cumbria. The village has a church, a great community owned shop and until recently a pub - The Punch Bowl.
The Village
The Punch Bowl
The Punch Bowl has been welcoming locals and visitors since the 18th century and is the last pub in the village which was once home to 8 hostelries! When the current owners of the Punch Bowl decided to move on, the pub was designated an Asset of Community Value with North Yorkshire County Council. The pub was put up for sale in March 2024, opening the option for purchase by the community.
Our Journey so far...
A wide-ranging consultation process with village residents began in early February 2024, at which there was overwhelming
support to bring the pub into community ownership and to transform the Punch Bowl into a vibrant and thriving community hub. A Community Benefit Society (The Punch Bowl Inn, Burton in Lonsdale Ltd) was established in late February 2024. The Society is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) using a set of pre-approved model Governance Rules developed by
Plunkett UK.
Between April 2024 and September 2024, regular meetings were held and a campaign launched to raise funds for the purchase
and refurbishment of the pub. A Share Prospectus, in compliance with the Community Shares Standard Mark, was launched in
July 2024 resulting in investments from 360 individuals and businesses, including from the Community Shares Booster Fund,
which is delivered by Co-operatives UK and partners. Alongside this, funds were raised locally and regionally from grants and donations. The last and biggest of these was a bid for £250,000 of capital and £50,000 of revenue funding submitted in
April 2024 to the government’s Community Ownership Fund (COF). This was announced as approved at the end of December 2024.
The Community Share Offer closed on 8th February 2025 having raised a wonderful £298,388, thus paving the way for the
delivery of our Business Plan and Community Engagement and Impact Report. For further details of our meetings, and business documents, search the DOCUMENTS page. Details about the Community Benefit Society and how it works
are on the ABOUT page.
You can subscribe to email updates, below, to receive the latest information about the purchase and refurbishment of the Punch Bowl.
We hope it won't be too long before we are opening the doors of our new community pub!
