A Northumberland village is hoping to save its pub which has not opened its doors in four years.

The Forge at Ulgham, near Morpeth, closed for business in 2019, and on November 25 of that year, the local parish council placed it on the Asset of Community Value register with Northumberland County Council. The building dates back to the 1700s, when it was a blacksmiths, hence the name 'The Forge'.

In September 2023, the current owner informed the county council of their intention to 'dispose' of the asset as per the Localism Act 2011, leaving the community until March 5 2024 to raise enough money to bid to buy the pub. That is when the moratorium on the Asset of Community Value expires - which requires that the community are able to put in an offer to buy the asset, but the seller remains free to choose who they sell to.

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The Ulgham Community Benefit Society (CBS) was formed after husband and wife David and Deb Wilson carried out a survey to all households in the village - which found that 87% of people would be in favour of launching a community bid for The Forge from a 60% turnout, which David described as "overwhelming". The survey also asked what people in Ulgham wanted from the pub, which they hope to incorporate should their takeover be successful.

The business plan suggests a small wet sales pub with traditional pub food, an all-day cafe, and a small shop space for local produce. In an attempt to make the community pub sustainable, there will also be a small letting accommodation.

Another part of the plan includes giving Ulgham residents - and those from further afield - the opportunity to apply for shares in the CBS until December 31 of this year. Overall the CBS hopes to raise more than £350,000 and will apply for community grants alongside fundraising in the hope of submitting their offer by March.

They have followed the example of the Fishers' Arms in Horncliffe, with village residents getting the keys to their pub in July 2022, which is still undergoing refurbishment, and are also being supported by the Plunkett Foundation, which works with rural communities to create and run community-owned businesses. The Fishers' is set to soon become one of a handful of community pubs in Northumberland, with others including The Gun Inn in Ridsdale, Ye Olde Cross in Ryton, and the Rose and Crown in Slaley.

Currently, Ulgham residents' nearest pub is the Widdrington Inn, near Druridge Bay, though it is more common for residents to head into Morpeth for a drink; an eleven-mile round trip. Those who don't travel have no public places to meet others - with the exception of the Women's Institute Hall.

David Wilson, chair of the Steering Group, said: "There's very little else in the village. A couple of decades ago there was a small shop which is still part of that premises, if you like, but there was only ever the pub.

"There's the Women's Institute Hall, but other than that there are no services. It means a lot to the village to have somewhere to congregate, to support socialising within the village.

"There are quite a lot of people on their own and it would allow them to meet regularly, catch up, and address social isolation ideally."

The Steering Group hope that if all goes to plan and they obtain the pub as planned, then they will be able to open by this time next year. Should they be successful, they plan to offer local employment, including for people who are "less able to enter mainstream work", and say they have already gathered more than 60 volunteers to do everything from refurbishing the pub to helping to run it.