A historic village pub that reopened this time last year has closed once again.
The Ebor, on Main Street, Bishopthorpe, shut its doors in 2021 following the death of its much loved landlord, Gordon Watkins.
He sadly passed away from Covid-19 just weeks before he was due to celebrate 40 years in charge.
The Ebor lay empty for three years prior to its reopening in March 2024, after Samuel Smith’s Brewery found new managers to run the business.
David and Rachel, the new landlord and landlady, were warmly welcomed by locals during a busy Easter weekend reopening on 29 March 2024.
At the time, the couple were also renovating the Grade II listed building, which dates back to the mid-1700s.
Samuel Smith’s Brewery submitted plans to City of York Council by Yorkshire building contractor R N Wooler & Co Ltd stating: “We have been asked by the brewery to ready the pub for its new managers as it is due to be re-opened in the next few weeks.
“During a visit from the owner, a picture on the wall was noticed showing the building in its original state as per the images below.
“The owner would like us to restore this back to how it was originally built.”
CWR Building & Joinery have been carrying out the work to reinstate the front of the building to its original look, removing the white paint and render.
The building work is ongoing, and scaffolding remains in place. However, the car park has been blocked by Heras fencing for the last couple of weeks.
One villager commented that it “looks like a prison now”.
The pub appears to have closed without any prior warning or signage on the door, which has left residents speculating about the reason for the closure.
One villager claimed that the landlord and landlady requested one day off per week, to which Sam Smith’s Brewery refused, so they decided to leave.
Another resident confirmed the couple had left the pub, and it would not be reopening until new management took over.
We have approached relevant organisations for a comment on the closure and will update the article once these are received.