Devon Man, 73, Remortgages Home to Save Century-Old Village Pub

Peter Manfield, 73, of Devon, England, remortgaged his home to buy The Dog and Donkey, a village pub with more than a century of history, and save it from closing, news agency SWNS reported.

The pub in Knowle, Budleigh Salterton, has served generations as a central meeting place, including during World War II, under a series of landlords over the years.

Manfield, a music teacher and musician, said he lacked the funds to buy the property outright. He took out a loan against his house and invested in restoring the building.

"To lose its heart would’ve been catastrophic," he told SWNS. "There’s nothing else in the village apart from the village hall."

Public records show the pub sold in 2023 for about $368,000.

"It’s just a lovely old building," Manfield said. "It was just unacceptable to let it go without a fight."

The pub retains original features like a tiled floor, fireplace and wide bar.

"We would lose all that, and what for?" he said.

Manfield views himself as a caretaker, not the owner. "I am just keeping it to make sure that it survives," he said.

He teamed up with Mark Loftin, who became landlord in February 2024 with no prior pub experience.

"This was an amazing opportunity," Loftin said. "Our values and belief systems basically align and that's what's important."

The pub hosts meetings, social events and community groups. Locals have posted thanks on social media for preserving what many call the heart of the community.

"We have been very lucky," Manfield said.