Some friends of mine are involved with this…

http://www.wbct.org.uk/branches/foxham-lyneham/news/1232-dauntsey-lock-loan-investment-appeal

I’ll probably be putting some money in.

That’s interesting. A few years ago there was a programme concerning another pub by the K & A Canal, money was raised by villagers and others.

It became successful, had a really nice family meal there and the food was excellent. Unfortunately it closed and this was despite having camping in the grounds.

It’s tough out there!

Do you mean the Barge at Honeystreet cinnamon girl? I didn’t know it was shut again. Haven’t been there since before it was “improved”. I quite liked it how it was. Shame all these lovely old places closing down. Once they’re gone,they’re gone.

pete68 – yes, that’s the one. We have to use them! 🙂

beej – not intending to spread doom! I think it very much depends on location and Dauntsey, being nearer to a larger and possibly more well-off population, could do well.

Certainly families could cycle from Chippenham, also there’s potential trade once Lyneham has been developed.

Hmmm. I’ve just looked at the barges website and seems to be open for business . Advertising it’s christmas menu so it’s up to date.

Oh sorry, I’ve obviously got it wrong. 😳

Yep the barge is open, run by my sisters old neighbours, who are great by the way, their mum is great too!

I was out at The Barge earlier this year, after photographing paragliders up on Milk Hill, and the place was heaving. Nice sunny Sunday afternoon, loads of people with kids sat outside, live music being played on a barge moored alongside.
They did have a bit of a problem around eighteen months ago, IIRC, but seem to have overcome it.
There’s a great big timber clad extension out the back, so there seems to have been a bit of investment going on.
The Peterborough is a nice pub, although I haven’t been there for many years, as it’s in exactly the opposite direction to where I usually tend to spend time. The thing is, with the ongoing restoration of the canal, long-term looks very promising for leisure use, pubs in similar locations locally, at Seend, Bathampton, and others, all seem to do very nicely with people walking and cycling.
The problem is that owners are only too happy to do bugger-all to encourage custom, then use the lack of custom as an excuse to justify shutting the pub and selling it as a house. I’ve seen it happen with another local pub, in Nettleton, and it was a mate of mine and his g/f who did it! Eight of us turned up on a Bank Holiday for lunch and beer, to find it shut, and the incumbents buggered off for the day because they couldn’t be arsed to open and serve people! 🙄

Bit more info about the whole canal project:

“The towpath will be restored before the canal. Currently we can walk about 50% of the canal length (total 109km) on the towpath, the rest via PROWS but it will be multi-use. Sustrans are involved. We have already registered the route as a long distance path with LDWA. We are selling it as a trail linking the historic cities of Bath & Oxford.”

http://www.ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?menu_type=S&path_name=Wilts+and+Berks+Canal+Towpath

i used to work at the barge about 10 years ago back in the good old croppy days. was back there in February, apparently the community buy out thing only lasted a year or so before going bust again. newish land lord seems to be doing really well, and it was packed when I was last there. Long live the Barge!

Good to hear it’s still up and running. Must try to get there again sometime.