REGULARS at an award-winning village pub fear for its future after the doors closed with the departure of its long-serving landlord.

But trustees of the historic establishment have said they hope to have new tenants in place before long.

The Buck Inn, Waddington, has been closed for three weeks with no sign of new licensees moving into the popular free house.

The pub, known locally as the Lower Buck, has been licensed since 1760 and is a popular watering hole for locals and visitors to the picturesque Ribble Valley village.

It has been described as one of Britain's last remaining time warps, virtually unchanged inside since the 1930s and popular with real ale drinkers attracted by its quirkiness and dismissal of modern day trends.

Last month Jim and Joyce Brown left the area to take early retirement to Scotland, and the owners, the Waddington Almhouses, have advertised for new tenants. But they are warning prospective licensees that "significant capital" is needed to bring the pub up to standard.

Villagers are dismayed by the closure and want assurances that it will be reopened at the earliest opportunity.

They are concerned that the cost of refurbishments could scare off potential tenants and result in the pub staying empty.

Waddington resident John Czerwonka, who is a regular at the pub, said: "We have been assured that the Lower Buck will be retained as a pub and we are pleased about that.

"The lease has been advertised and now it is just a matter of waiting for the new tenants.

"About half a dozen people have contacting me about the closure, who just want to see it reopened as soon as possible."

Almhouses committee clerk Peter Cunliffe said the closure was only a temporary measure and that new tenants were being sought.

"It's simply not true that the cost of refurbishment is putting potential tenants off," he said.

"The pub has generated a lot of interest and we hope to have a new landlord in place and be open for business before long."

The Browns won several awards from the Campaign for Real Ale and the Buck Inn is included in CAMRA's national list of historic pub interiors drawn up in conjunction with English Heritage to try to protect them from modernisation.

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