The Moors Inn

The Moors Inn is our local pub and is less than 5 minutes’ walk from the Long Barn. When we bought Town End Farm, being in a village location which had a pub was a definite plus. Every other place we’d looked at was far more remote with any pub or restaurant a good drive away. We knew from talking to friends that for some, having a pub within walking distance was a must when booking a self-catering holiday. The Moors Inn was built in the late 18^th century and is grade two listed. It started life as a pub in 1782 and was originally called “The Oddfellows Arms” from 1842. The story is that a subsequent landlady insisted the name was changed to the Moors Inn as she said she was already married to an odd fellow and to work in an Odd Fellows pub as well, would be too much.

Some time after we’d moved in the Moors was put up for sale, and there was a real concern that there was a risk it could close. There was relief all round when Jonathan and Katie bought it in 2014 with the vision to run it as a going concern. Since then, the Moors Inn has gone from strength to strength; there’s been significant investment in the place from upgrades to the bedrooms (they have eight) to the public areas and the back of house. All this means that we now have a complete gem of a pub in the village, much loved by locals and Long Barn guests. Like many places, the Moors had to close when we went into lockdown, and it made us appreciate it even more when it was finally able to open its doors again a few weeks ago. We’ve reflected on why it was much missed over this time, and it’s a real combination of things. Yes, it is a fabulous pub with lovely hand pulled ales and delicious food. But the essence of what makes the Moors Inn so special are the people who work there. They are warm, friendly and welcoming, and really care about their customers. They are great at making everyone feel welcome be it the locals or the visitors coming into the pub.

We’ve always appreciated the extra mile the Moors Team have gone to for Long Barn guests, many of whom book in for a meal as part of their stay. Nothing is too much trouble; we’ve even had the pub run up a bowl of raita for guests cooking a curry in and forgetting to bring yoghurt. It’s a challenging time to be in hospitality at present with the guidelines everyone is having to follow. We can say with absolute confidence that the Moors team are following them to the letter but with no compromise to the warmth of the welcome to customers, or the service they receive. And the Farmers Blonde and Moors Inn steak pie are just as delicious as ever.