Locals want to restore their village pub as a hub for the community

VILLAGERS deprived of a local pub since the last one shut in 2020 have started a fund-raiser bring it back to life.

- by PAUL GREAVES [e-mail] @DevonLiveNews

The Dolphin Inn in Kenton closed its doors five years ago and all efforts to revive it have so far failed.

It has been branded "an eyesore" by some and has been at the centre of planning row. So far all efforts to breathe new life into the old building, which served locals for 170 years, have failed.

However, a group of determined villagers are refusing to let it die without a fight. They have a plan to create a community-owned hub in the heart of the village and have started fundraising to create a place where people of all ages, backgrounds and tastes are welcome.

It comes as pubs across Devon and the rest of the country fight to stay open. Changing habits and rising costs have led many pubs to close.

The GoFundMe appeal says: "For more than 200 years, Kenton has been home to warm memories of pubs, but in 2025 our community finds ourselves without one.

"Not only are we looking to revive a historic cultural necessity, but want to develop a modernised community space which could include a place to eat, hold meetings, have coffee and cake, swap books and to have a space to connect with others.

"Having lost the last standing pub, the Dolphin Inn, in 2020, we now have the opportunity to bring a community space back to life for our residents past and present. Will you help us?