When the last pub and shop in Stoke St Gregory closed, a community of just 950 people didn’t mourn the loss – they mobilised. Through a determined village effort, residents raised over £200,000 and transformed The Royal Oak into a thriving community-run pub, café, shop, and meeting place. Now known as The Royal Oak Pub-Hub, it is a shining example of what can be achieved when people unite to protect and rebuild rural social infrastructure.
Led by the Heart of the Village Project (HOTV), local volunteers:
- Raised £200,000 in community shares and triggered additional grant funding totalling £471,000.
- Purchased and refurbished the pub, integrating the village shop and café into the building.
- Relocated the shop from a shipping container into the pub, creating a sustainable future for local retail access.
- Transformed The Royal Oak into a multi-functional hub, offering:
- A skittle alley and function room for language classes, social groups, and events.
- Café hosting Knit & Natter groups, motorcycle meets, rambler groups, and more.
- A new book corner for swapping and donating books.
- Full accessibility for care home visits and local charities.
Volunteers contributed their skills in painting, plastering, gardening, and ongoing management, creating a vibrant space that serves locals, tourists, walkers, cyclists, and dog owners alike.
The transformation has been life-changing for the village. Residents describe it as “a different village now,” with stronger connections, reduced isolation, and a renewed sense of community pride. The Hub is where people come to socialise, celebrate, grieve, and find comfort – it is the social, emotional, and practical centre of village life.
The Royal Oak in Stoke St Gregory is more than a building – it’s a symbol of community strength. By refusing to let their pub and shop disappear, this small village created a beacon of resilience, compassion, and innovation. It is a Pub-Hub in the truest sense – and the very definition of what it means to be a community pub hero.
