One of Swindon’s most notable pubs has come under new ownership, with a couple who have been its patrons for decades making the move behind the bar.

James Bell, 51, and his wife Theresa, 47, have been customers of the Sun Inn by Coate Water for 20 years, and believe now that they have their opportunity in charge, they can build a hub for the local community.

James, who has a career history as a chef, said: “As a family, we’ve been coming to this pub for 20 years, and we love this pub. It’s not just any pub, it’s got a great family feel. We want to get it back to how it was previously and build on that.

We were in here as a family – my wife and I and our granddaughter – and we thought we could do better. It was as simple as that.

“We thought this was a great environment, and we went and enquired with Arkell’s [the brewery who own the pub] about the opportunity. It wasn’t any pub that we wanted, it was this pub.”

With a selection of new events underway, including Wednesday jazz nights, Sunday night guest chefs and a weekly ‘gin journey’, the couple, who took over day-to-day operation at the start of August, are making an impact.

There are other plans in the pipeline as well, James said: “We’ve changed the menu, and now we are looking at refurbishments to carry out within the first months, as well as lots of training and development of the team.

“We have ten rooms as well, so it’s about working out how to build on that opportunity, and help Arkell’s to expand this pub as their flagship.

“We want to get involved in community events. We’ve got a great bunch of locals, we just want to understand what they’re looking for.”

Theresa, who will combine her role in the pub with another job in facilities management, said that the nearby Badbury Park development, with nearly 1,000 new homes, offered an opportunity to expand the pub’s appeal.

She said: “The Sun is a traditional Swindon pub which has served the residents of Coate Water, Dorcan, Walcot and Marlborough Road for years.

“Now we’re welcoming Badbury Park into our community, there’s definitely room for everyone, and we’re right in the middle.

“The Sun at Coate Water is a landmark town pub, because of where it is and the colour and size of the building – it’s pretty impressive.

“We’ve commuted past it for years, and I can’t quite believe that it’s now ours to develop and run.”