THE COST of living crisis claimed another victim this week as an historic Exmoor pub closed its doors yesterday (July 20), immediately sparking a search for somebody new to reopen it.

The Bridge Inn, in Bridge Street, Dulverton, had been run since 2019 by landlord Andrew Cummings, who has now ended his lease.

It became the first pub in Exmoor National Park to be owned by Cornwall's St Austell Brewery when the company bought it four years ago.

Previously, it had been managed for 12 years by Kenny and Rachael McDonald.

Mr Cummings said: “It comes with a heavy heart to say, unfortunately, we have to close our doors.

“Due to the continued rise of prices and everything in between, we are unable to continue trading and had to make this tough decision.

“I would personally like to thank each and every loyal customer who has visited us and been a part of our journey.

“To all our hard working staff who have been the backbone of the business and making it such a special place to visit, I cannot thank you enough, and I am positive you will succeed moving forward.”

St Austell Brewery’s head of tenanted operations, Clive Greene, said: “The Bridge Inn is a fantastic pub, with a rich history, which benefits from being in one of the most beautiful locations in the UK.

“We can confirm the current leaseholders have made the decision to close their business.

“However, despite the challenging economic climate, St Austell Brewery remains very confident about the pub’s future.

“We look forward to welcoming a new tenant, and reopening the doors for the community as soon as we can.”

The Bridge Inn, which has three-bedroom living accommodation and ‘character’ trading areas, dates to 1845.