This is a community voice published in the Hereford Times on September 26.

Sarah Yardley, Open Arms Kington

SEPTEMBER is Heritage Month, and we’re raising a glass to an institution that shaped Britain: the pub.

Each has a story to tell - the smell built up over centuries of woodsmoke, tobacco, beer (and worse); the mismatched furniture; the random collections of objects decorating the walls.

The events from their pasts make up these buildings’ histories, but their unique atmosphere is their heritage.

When community interest company Open Arms Kington (OAK) bought the Oxford Arms pub in 2023 to transform it into a community space, it had already been shaped by dozens of landlords, thousands of customers and centuries of changing trends.

Annie Gamble, who is documenting its story, says “the building is full of reminders of its past: as a coaching inn connecting Kington to London and beyond, a centre of Georgian high society, an indoor sheep-shearing competition venue–and for Kington residents, a much loved local.”

However, listed buildings are notoriously difficult to maintain. The Oxford Arms sits at the heart of Kington’s town conservation area, which Historic England reports to be in “very bad” condition.

“A big reason for buying the Oxford was to conserve one of Kington’s most-loved landmark buildings,” says OAK chairperson Judith Gardner.

“We have lots of work ahead of us, but it’s worth it to secure the pub’s future as a welcoming, vibrant community space.”

Now, the OAK team are adding a new layer to the Oxford Arms’ heritage, in its next era as a community “pub and hub”.

They’ve hosted more than 50 community events in the pub’s barn and courtyard, as well as regular outdoor bar and café openings, while waiting on the outcome of their restoration grant application.

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Having been a main character of Kington’s past, the team are ensuring that the Oxford will play an important role in its future, and continue to contribute to the town’s rich heritage.

The OAK team would like to thank the Architectural Heritage Fund and the Heritage Trust Network for their support on the heritage aspects of the project.

Purchase of the Oxford Arms was made possible through funding from the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, St Mary’s Parochial Church Council, The National Lottery Community Fund and Architectural Heritage Fund.