Spalding residents not phased by ‘soulless’ pub closure

A pub described as “soulless” by a nearby resident has closed abruptly with all the windows now covered in metal boards. Royal Mail Cart in Pinchbeck, Spalding, is a popular destination for many locals and passers-by with it being en-route in and out of the town centre.

Despite its location and range of facilities, it is now boarded up and in need of a new owner to keep it running. The pub has several facilities including two bars, a large restaurant with carvery facilities, an extensive beer garden and a sports area.

A spokesperson for the pub has said it is “actively recruiting” for a new pub partner following the current tenant serving notice on their lease. Several nearby residents said they rarely visit the pub, if ever, and that it is in need of improvement.

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A Spalding couple who asked to be referred to by their surname, Mr and Mrs Cook, both over 65, said they haven’t been to the pub for 10 years. Mr Cook said: “We never went because it was soulless.”

Mrs Cook said”: We went years ago when they had snooker tables. If they had a good restaurant that would be nice.”

Martin Devlin, 61, has lived in Spalding for six years. He said: “When we moved here we were told it had quite a nice carvery but it wasn’t that great so we never went again.

“We aren’t really pub people. When we first moved in they had motorbike clubs every Wednesday.”

Steve Forster, 48, said: “Once it’s turned into a Waitrose I would go. If it was a nice pub we’d go there but it just needs a lot doing to it.”

Tracey Anderson said she went to the pub a few times and enjoyed it. She said: “It had lovely food, a nice atmosphere and wasn’t too busy.

“It was more like a little village pub than a town pub. It always seemed quite busy when they did meals on Sundays.

“There were queues outside waiting for them to open.” A local resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said she only visited the pub once and has lived in the area for nearly 10 years.

She said: “It’s known as an old people’s place and had a roaring trade and then the pandemic came along and they turned their hand to takeaways. I used to always see a lot of older people queuing up waiting for it to open.

“The pubs are struggling and I belong to WI and we go for lunch once a month. It’s hard to find somewhere good.”

Town locals speculated on social media after noticing the pub’s inactivity which left some disappointed and others surprised at the closure. One Facebook user said: “Someone just messaged me to say it’s all boarded up.

“It is a shame. Only went fairly recently for the first time and was really impressed.”

Another said: “They were only painting the windows outside last week and now metal boards up at windows.” A spokesperson for the Royal Mail Cart, which is owned by Stonegate Pub Partners, said: “Following the incumbent tenant serving notice on their lease, we are actively recruiting for a new Pub Partner to reopen the pub as soon as possible.”

The spokesperson also said that for any further information on the pub, the website can be visited here.

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