A historic pub bought by a Wiltshire aristocrat will open this autumn, the new tenants have announced.
The Kings Arms in Monkton Farleigh, near Bradford on Avon was put up for sale in 2025 for £550,000.
The marketing agents Christie and Co. later confirmed the pub freehold had been bought by Sir Charles Hobhouse, who lives in the village and was High Sheriff of Wiltshire between 2021 and 2022.
As previously reported, the new owner has let the site to Beckford Group, who operate hospitality businesses across the south west.
The Beckford Group recently announced the pub will open in September of this year, serving the kind of traditional fare found at the company's other sites, and offering eight rooms for overnight stays.
Dan Brod, one of the co-founders of the Group, said: “I think anyone in a country village knows that their local pub is a home from home - somewhere familiar and safe with comforting food and free from washing up.”
A spokesperson for the Beckford Group said in their excitement at the prospect of the pub re-opening, having been shut for more than a year, the village offered to invest and the local estate to fund the re-development.
The Beckford Group said it has been delighted to work creatively with the local community to reopen the pub and explore the same approach on future projects.
News the group would be taking over operations on the site emerged earlier in 2025 when a blog post revealed they were in talks with the local community.
According to a document shared to the South Wraxall community blog, Beckford Group said an offer was accepted and the company is in the process of securing the site.
Located at the southern end of the Cotswolds and just outside Bradford on Avon, The Kings Arms in Monkton Farleigh is a traditional public house, with parts of the stone-built property dating back centuries.
Despite financial challenges facing the hospitality sector, the site is one of a number of properties the Beckford Group plans to open this year.
This month, the company reopened The Bradley Hare Inn, after its sudden closure towards the end of last year. The group is also planning to open its first hotel in the south of the county, as well as a brasserie with rooms in the middle of Corsham.
Share