A BREWERY has said it has made no final decision over the future of a pub which closed without warning this week.

The Three Tuns, in Wroughton, was boarded up by Arkell’s brewery following the departure of landlords Russell Wheeler and Tracey Hackett, who only took over the tenancy at the pub in December last year.

Arkell’s said it has closed the pub while it comes to a decision over the future of the building.

Craig Titchener, director at the Swindon brewery, said: “It is with regret that we have had to close the Three Tuns at Wroughton following the departure of the landlords.

“As we do not have a landlord in a position to take over the pub we have boarded it up and have yet to make a firm decision about its future. It is possible that it will not be open again in the short term.”

Arkell’s bought the pub, which is on the main road into Wroughton from Swindon, in 1889 when it had a brewhouse, stables, coach house, shed, piggeries, out-buildings, yard, garden and half an acre of orchards and meadow land.

The current building dates back to early Victorian times. Inside there is a small room known as ‘The Kicking Box’, which was apparently used by the horseracing fraternity but was made part of the bar.

A local man, Dickie Tarrant, was said to have brought his horse, Brownie, into the room, which was so small the horse could not turn round and had to be backed out the door.

Parish councillor Bruce Kingstree, of Wharf Road, said: “They always had trouble in there but I think the recent landlords had been trying to make changes to it.

“One landlord had allowed a kebab van in the car park without planning permission. They submitted a retrospective application but it was refused – a lot of people complained.

“He was told to remove it but it’s still there.

“I don’t think people will be too sad about it. We’ve got plenty of pubs in the village.”