A 16th century pub which suffered a devastating fire but was rebuilt before being hit by covid has closed, after its owners were left with ‘no other option’.
Chideock’s The Clock was rebuilt after the blaze, in April 2015, gutted the building.
A chimney fire caught the thatched roof and despite the best efforts of the fire service the pub was all but destroyed.

The community rallied round and Mike and Helen Long, who moved in to the pub in 2002, were able to reopen in July 2016.
Sadly, since then the pandemic, rising cost of living and quadrupled insurance costs have eaten away at their bottom line and on Sunday the family reluctantly shut up shop.
They said: “It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we announce that “The Clock” in Chideock has closed its doors for the final time today (Sunday 3rd December).
“Whilst everyone is struggling with increased cost of living at the moment, we have had the added pressure of quadrupled insurance (even though the building is safer than it has ever been) alongside rising loan repayments that were needed after the fire. Then of course we all had covid to contend with. “We hoped that we could have sold the business over the last couple of years, to someone that didn’t have the increased costs we do, but sadly not and that has left us no other option. We would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every member of staff, and each and every one of you, that have supported us over the last 21-and-a-half years, it’s been a pleasure.”