Penruddocke Arms, Dinton, Nr. Salisbury

Dinton is a village, civil parish and former manor in Wiltshire, England, in the Nadder valley about 8 miles (13 km) west of Salisbury. The civil parish encompasses the small village of Baverstock, about 1 mile (1.6 km) east of Dinton village and the population was 696 in the 2011 census.

The railway remains open as part of the London Waterloo to Exeter line; the nearest station is Tisbury and The Monarch’s Way long-distance footpath crosses the parish north of Dinton, leaving via Grovely Wood.

The parish has local services including a primary school, two public houses, a village hall and, until 2016, a shop with a post office.

On the advice of their accountant, Matt Keel and Carly Hunt, free house owners of The Penruddocke Arms approached Pub is The Hub about their unused pool and darts games room to see if they could incorporate a new shop and bakery for Dinton within the space.

After a couple of meetings with Reg Clarke, the Pub is The Hub advisor for the south west, Matt and Carly collected signatures of support from the local community for the scheme. Although the pub is situated outside the village, a short drive, the community were still very keen about Matt and Carly’s idea.

Pub is The Hub was able to donate £1,000 from their community service fund; Wiltshire Council (Dinton area board) granted £500; and the pub’s beer supplier, Greene King, donated £400 for a freezer. With the added capital investment by Matt and Carly themselves the project was finally underway.

Project Summary:

To change the games room of the pub into a local shop/bakery with its own access for the community to use bringing a lost service back to the village.

The shop is accessible through a separate door to the pub and is open seven days a week from 7.30am to 6.30pm from Monday to Saturday and from 8am to 4pm on Sunday. It sells newspapers, convenience foods and local produce and is being staffed by family members, with Matt and Carly’s mums and two sisters.

On 1^st February 2018, Margaret Tonson, the village’s long-serving ex-postmistress and shopkeeper officially opened the Penruddocke Arms Village Shop and Bakery.

Outcomes so far:

• The shop/bakery is being well used by both passers-by and the local community and serves hot and cold takeaway food.
• There is also a delivery service from the pub to the village that is proving to be widely used.
• The pub has enjoyed several articles from local media about the new shop, promoting the village and the pub and has been supported through Pub is The Hub’s online channels.

Lessons to learn:

This has been a pilot project in Wiltshire and with some forward-thinking licensees, support from the local communities and Wiltshire Council’s Area Boards a few more villages like Dinton will benefit in the county.