Work has begun to rebuild a cherished Devon village pub that suffered a devastating structural collapse.
The Ship Inn in Cockwood looked doomed after a large section of its wall crashed to the ground in 2023. It was left with a gaping hole to its side and 70 tonnes of rubble on the ground. It has been closed ever since, surrounded by scaffolding, and the odds were against it ever reopening. It was put on the market by its brewery owners and the site was eyed for housing development.
But just as all appeared lost it was bought by a builder with huge experience in saving dangerous structures. He has now started work on the rebuild and hopes to have the bar opened again in 2027. The long term plan is to make the business economically viable by building a new extension at the back for diners and other functions.
There is still a long way to go but the complex work and plans have received almost universal support from the community. A local group 'Refloat the Ship' has been set up to document progress and Newton Abbot MP Martin Wrigley has added his own vote of confidence, describing it as 'fantastic news for the village'.
DevonLive spoke to master builder and owner, Colin, about his plans and was given a sneak peek inside the historic Ship to see how work is progressing.
"So many people came up to me and said 'Go on, Colin' and for a year I said no. But the risk was it would end up being knocked down so I approached the estate agents and we reached an agreement to buy it within 14 days. They were very helpful."
"I've specialised in dangerous structures for 44 years and was in semi-retirement. I'm not just doing this for myself, I'm doing it for the pub, the locals and the visitors."
"It has so much history but pubs are more than the building, they are part of the life of the community and that's why we love them. I'm taking it on with all that in mind. There is massive support for rebuilding The Ship and the local group Refloat the Ship have been fantastic and have put in a lot of work."
"The plan will be to reopen with an extension at the back to make it pay as a pub. I want it to be a happy pub for locals and visitors."
"We'll serve traditional meals, sensibly priced, a carvery and salad bar. The ales and lagers will be far cheaper than other places. I'm going to be hands-on at first but with the option of hiring a pub manager later."
The historic pub was getting ready for a busy weekend lunch service in October 2023 when an entire cob wall came crashing down. It left a huge hole to the side of the building. Upper accommodation, where the chef lived, was one of the rooms left exposed. Nobody was hurt but the calamity led to a wrangle over insurance, enforced closure and eventually the former tenant landlady leaving and Punch Pubs & Co putting the building up for sale, saying it was not worth the cost or restoring.
A public meeting in the village attended by almost 100 local people led to the 'Refloat the Ship' campaign.
The cost of buying and rebuilding The Ship runs into hundreds of thousands of pounds. When the wall came down it not only put the structure at risk of collapse but it also tore out wires and ripped out plumbing.
The interior of the building is currently a work in progress with exposed walls, ceilings, floors and beams. Colin wants to keep as much of the historic fabric of the building, such as the ancient bread oven, which could be used for pizzas, while making it structurally safe and fit for the 21st century.
Some of the repairs have already been done and a section of roof was lowered into place this week. That milestone means 70 per cent of the pub wall is no longer at risk.
More remedial work still needs to be done. A large, hand-crafted roof beam has been made by a local craftsman and is almost ready to be put into place.
While carrying out the work, Colin uncovered some old photos and paintings in the walls. They are dated to 1969 and include a copy of the Daily Mirror. He would like locals to help him identify the people in the photos and understand their connection to the history of the pub.
Builder Races to Reopen 300-Year-Old Pub After Collapse