On Friday 24th April, we had the privilege of opening the doors of The Weyhill Fair (formerly The Sun Inn) to the local community for a short open day ahead of its redevelopment.
We welcomed around 100 visitors over the course of just two hours. It was a truly special event, bringing together past owners, staff, historians, and members of the community to celebrate the history of a much-loved local landmark.
Painted between 1983 and 1984 by artist David Featherby and created over many months, the mural has long been a talking point and a cherished feature of the pub. While it is sadly not possible to preserve it due to its condition and the way it is embedded into the structure, we were pleased to be able to give people the chance to see it one last time.
We were honoured to welcome David himself, who generously shared his memories and delivered two informal talks during the event. Local historian Tony Raper also attended and shared his local knowledge, alongside Jan and Peter Rayner, who once owned the Pub and originally commissioned the mural. Seeing so many people reconnect, reminisce, and share stories of the building was incredibly meaningful.
We were also delighted to be able to distribute original postcards of the mural, produced by a former landlord, with some signed on the day by David.
The level of interest and support from the community exceeded all expectations. We are particularly grateful to the Parish Council for helping to spread the word, which contributed to such a strong turnout.
While the building itself is no longer viable for restoration, we recognise and respect its place in local history. The open day was an important opportunity to acknowledge that history before moving forward.
Following a lengthy planning process, we are now preparing to redevelop the site to deliver nine new homes. We currently anticipate demolition beginning in June 2026, with the new homes expected to be ready for occupation in Q2 2027.
We would like to thank everyone who attended and contributed to making the day so memorable.
We look forward to sharing further updates as the project progresses.
