Work begins to rebuild fire-wrecked Tayleur Arms
Work was beginning today to rebuild a 300-year-old Shropshire pub which was demolished after being destroyed in a huge fire exactly a year ago.
The Tayleur Arms, in Longdon Upon Tern, suffered an estimated £1.2 million damage when fire tore through it in March last year.
Landlord Richard Harvey and his wife Eve now hope to be back in business by the autumn, as they returned to the site this morning to oversee the beginning of rebuilding work.
More than 1,600 people had signed up to a Facebook campaign calling for the pub to be rebuilt by owners Enterprise Inns.
Mr Harvey, aged 43, and his 46-year-old wife, escaped the fire in their night clothes, along with their 14-year-old son Elliot and some guests who were staying the night.
Mr Harvey said the kitchen and bar areas would be restored and open log fires would return.
"It's not going to be the Tayleur Arms but we are going with roughly the same layout," he said.
"There were a few issues with the old layout so we are going to try and iron out a few of the problems to help the service run smoother.
"We want to try to make it so it has got a home feel and people will be able sit in front of coal fires and put their feet up.
"It will be well decorated and we are going to use some old furniture and recycle it.
"One part of it will have a cottage-type feel, while in another part it will have a bar-type feel with a seating area.
"We have got a long way to go with the interior design of it but hopefully we will end up with something that the public will enjoy," Mr Harvey added.
