Regulars enjoying a drink at the Sun Inn in Leintwardine. Left to right are Frank Jones, Gary Seymour, Chris Johnson, Doug Griffiths, Wayne Smith, Deanna Jones and Rosie McEvaddy.

The new owners of one of the UK’s last surviving “parlour pubs” have announced major plans for refurbishment work, including a timber pavilion at the premises and eco-friendly energy features.

The Sun Inn in Leintwardine, near Ludlow, was run by reputedly Britain’s oldest landlady, Flossie Lane, for 74 years until her death in June last year at the age of 94. The pub was run by volunteers until November.

It was then taken over by businessmen Gary Seymour, who runs the Fiddler’s Elbow Chip Shop next door, and Nick Davis, of Cleobury Mortimer-based Hobsons Brewery.

In a statement, Mr Seymour and Mr Davis said: “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.”

The premises are listed as a historic Grade II building; drinks are served from the barrel store directly to the glass, the glass is then carried to a separate bar area for consumption, there is no servery and no pumps are visible – a classic example of a parlour pub.

The statement added: “We recognise the Sun Inn’s unique status as one of the UK’s last remaining parlour pubs and intend to maintain it as a very special kind of ‘living museum’ where good beers can be enjoyed in a historic environment.”

To help make the Sun Inn self-supporting, Mr Davis and Mr Seymour want to add a carefully and sympathetically designed rear section to the building, which would incorporate a conventional bar area, comfortable seating, a games area and modern toilets.

Environmentally friendly features would include rainwater harvesting for flushing the toilets, solar heating for hot water and photovoltaic cells to generate electricity.

They have presented their idea to villagers and have had preliminary discussions with Herefordshire Council.

They hope to submit a formal planning application in the near future and will be posting information on the newly-launched website, www.suninn-leintwardine.co.uk

By Hannah Costigan