TWO village pubs which are just over a mile apart have closed their doors within weeks of each other.

The White Hart in Oare, a freehold pub, and the French Horn in Pewsey, which is owned by Wadworth, both closed recently.

Until it closed, the White Hart was managed by a New Zealand couple, Barbara and Ray Cook, but pub shut its doors to punters following a fire safety audit which highlighted that several thousands of pounds would need to be invested to bring it up to the required standard.   

There is hope in the village that the pub could be bought and turned into a village amenity but plans are at a very early stage.

Wilcot and Huish parish councillor for Oare, Dee Nix, said: “I think it has closed for a couple of reasons. The landlord and landlady have retired but also it has been struggling economically.

“Unfortunately Oare is one of those villages that you drive through to get to somewhere else, which is a great shame because there are some beautiful walks around here.

“I know that there are many a boy, man and now elderly gentleman who regularly went to the pub, so for them it’s a great shame.

“There is a strong desire to use the pub as a village amenity but it’s a question of where the money would come from. What we want and what we get are not always the same thing.

“There has been talk of turning it into a village hall because ours is quite small but I don’t think there is a lot going on at the moment and it would take considerable investment to bring it up to date.”

The French Horn has notices on its doors and windows saying that it is closed until further notice.

Wadworth recently came to an agreement with the pub tenants to put the property up for sale.

Sales and marketing director Paul Sullivan said: “Recently the pub had lost a lot of business to the Waterfront across the way so we made a mutual decision to consider the option of selling the property.

“For the interim period I would imagine it will remain closed. We’ve put it on the market as a pub and we have no plans to put in for a change of use but whether it will continue to be a going concern is up to the purchaser.”

Pewsey parish councillor Caroline Dalrymple said: “I’m furious about it, I’m absolutely livid. I go there quite often and the food is really very nice.

“I feel very sorry for the lovely staff who were losing their jobs.

“It’s a great shame because there aren’t many places where you can get a nice meal that isn’t too expensive.”