'Beautiful' Peak District pub that's owned by 400 locals fighting to survive

A community-owned Peak District pub near one of the national park's most stunning landmarks is fighting to survive. The Anglers Rest in Bamford is owned by nearly 400 locals who banded together back in 2013, and has a Post Office attached to it.

The locals have supported and run the pub for the last 12 years with a mixture of paid staff and volunteers, also carrying out regular refurbishments and preventing any decay to the 200-year-old building. But now, after surviving some of the toughest challenges a pub could face with the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, The Anglers Rest team is now looking to raise £30,000 to save the pub from "imminent closure".

The plan is to use the money to keep the pub running to a "high standard" to make it suitable for a prospective buyer who, in turn, can take the reins and continue to serve the community as it has done for centuries. Steph Colver has lived in Bamford for more than a decade - but her fond memories of the village go back to her childhood when The Anglers was the "go to" pub for lunch - and a place her father would take her regularly.

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Speaking about why the villagers banded together to save the pub in the first place, the 78-year-old said: "It looked as though it was going to close back in 2013 and everyone in the village was very sad about that. We really wanted to keep it open - and that's what we did.

"We had a share offer in 2013 and I - and lots of others in the village - put in money to keep it open. It's been up and down since then, for example COVID took its toll on us, but we still remain open five days a week and see good trade and people stopping off to visit.

"A lot of people will know we have a huge car park which is great for visitors, meaning people can travel from nearby towns and cities without too much hassle, and we also have a brilliant outdoor seating area which is lovely in the summer months. It really is a beautiful, beautiful pub in a beautiful, beautiful place."

The Mirror reported that more than 400 pubs closed for good across the UK in 2024 - that's 34 pubs a month. Rosemary Lane, Bamford Community Society's finance director, says The Anglers faces the same difficulties as pubs across the UK, with rising staff wages, increased national insurance and general costs of gas, electricity and beer.

She said: "There's been a lot of changes in recent years. The hospitality sector is struggling to recover, not just from the pandemic, but also from the economic crisis. We're no different to every pub in that sense, however, we are a rural village and we rely heavily on our community and toursits.

"We identified and understand that our locals may not come in every day and spend loads on beer and food, so we have adapted to put on a range of events such as quiz nights and vinyl nights to encourage people to The Anglers. It really is the beating heart of the community.

"We have tried for the last 12 years to run the pub as a community, but we have become a victim of our own success really. We have invested heavily on all aspects of the pub, from a new roof and insulation to a new kitchen and interior, but it's simply too challenging to run a pub as a community during such a difficult time for the industry.

"We also run a Post Office and a café on site, and also offer accommodation, but for these to all run effectively we need to move to a tenanted model. In order to do this, we need to stay open, we need the pub to be as good as it can be to attract a buyer and negotiate the best deal possible."

The pub wants to use the £30,000 to keep the pub open for as many hours as possible, continuing to employ a mixture of paid staff and volunteers. The pub has already seen £6,000 raised since November but is desperately calling for help from the Derbyshire community to reach the £30,000 target by early February.

Speaking about what it means to keep the pub open and offering thanks to those who have already donated, Mrs Colver added: "We have been amazingly thrilled to see donations towards our future and it has shown us that the community really does care. To anyone who may be in the area fancying a visit, we are still open and we encourage anyone to pay a visit and support us in the future.

"Pub's like these are invaluable for the community and it was be devastating if it was forced to close. We will keep working hard and fighting for our beloved pub."

Anyone wishing to donate to the pub's fundraiser can do so by clicking the link here. The pub can be found on the corner between Ashopton Road and Taggs Knoll in Bamford, just a stone's throw from Bamford Edge which attracts hundreds of walkers each year.