Centuries old Church House changes hands after 'covert' campaign

One of South Devon's oldest and most well-known pubs has changed hands.

The Church House Inn in Marldon sits under the shadows of Saint John the Baptist Church, overlooking the village cricket field.

It was originally built around 1400 and gave accommodation to the artisans working on the church, after which it became the meeting house for the church congregation and finally the village inn.
It was rebuilt in the early 18th century and has stunning listed Georgian windows. Some of the original glass remains, despite being next to the cricket pitch – where 'sixes' are now outlawed.

Grade II listed, The Church House as been recognised with a plethora of awards over the years including being the first pub in Devon to be listed in the Michelin Pub Guide

Jon Clyne , Director of Charles Darrow agents who handled the transaction, said: “We were asked to undertake a covert marketing campaign by Julian, someone who I have known for many years, having frequented the business on more than one occasion. Julian owned the business for over 20 years, and you would be hard pressed to find a business with a better reputation. I believe we found the perfect buyers in Donna and Phil McCann who are popular multiple operators, owning several excellent pubs, most notably the Pig & Whistle at Littlehempston. They plan to continue to operate the business in a similar vein to Julian and we wish them all the best."

The business was sold off an undisclosed asking price.