The pub - a great British invention and now think of the perfect pub, a warm and cosy local, filled with friendly faces. Now imagine the cash you pay for every drink goes straight back into the local community.
Sounds too good to be true? Think again – these magical places really do exist. They are community-owned pubs; pubs purchased and co-operatively owned by the local community. And we have found some of the country's best!
Using the enthusiasm of local people, more and more communities are getting together to save their locals from closure by rallying round, raising money and purchasing the pub themselves. So why not support them, there may be one near you.....
9.8 miles
Carshalton, Surrey, SM5
Opened as the Hope Beer House in the 1870s, this pub got its mock-Tudor panelling between the wars. In 2010, closure loomed, but locals clubbed together and bought the lease (adding the freehold in 2015)