Dorset couple buy their village local
Richard Watts and his partner Anne Clements, who have lived in the Dorset village of Maiden Newton for 50 years, have snapped up their local pub.
The Chalk and Cheese is a period property in the heart of the village that is an active sporting centre - along with its own darts, crib and skittle teams, it's the home of the local Maiden Newton Runners athletics team and the Froom Valley Lions rugby club.
The ground floor comprises a main bar that will seat 30 diners and a catering kitchen while the first floor contains three bedrooms, a bathroom, a dining room and an office.
The property also has a trade patio with 30 seats and a rear courtyard garden with a built-in barbecue and seating for 24.
The new owners and their chef, Lou Thompson, plan to expand the catering offer and have produced new menus that specialise in locally-sourced "cheese and chutney" platters. These will be joined soon by a regular Sunday roast.
The owners also intend to convert two upstairs bedrooms in B&B accommodation.
Property agent Stonesmith of Exeter sold the leasehold for a sum close to the asking price of £70,000 on behalf of Shaun and Amanda Yates.