AN ICONIC pub in Britain’s “poshest town” has finally re-opened after locals slammed its sky high prices.
The historic Windmill Inn of Linton re-opened its doors vowing to offer punters good value drinks with pints costing as little as £4.80.
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The watering hole, which dates back to 1564, suddenly closed it doors in late January when the previous landlady left.
Some locals blasted the high prices for snubbing the hostelry which is in an area renowned for having many wealthy residents and with house prices in one street averaging £1.7million.
Former celebrity residents include ex soccer star Rio Ferdinand and Del Boy actor David Jason.
Now new leaseholders Sharon, 58, and Simon Colgan, 59, have reopened its doors and the residents are “over the moon”.
Sharon said: “Just because you are in a posh area doesn’t mean you should have to pay the expensive marked up prices.
“For those who want to pay extra they can – but it isn’t necessary if they don’t want to.
“We want to return the pub to it’s former days being somewhere the local residents can enjoy and call their own.”
She added that locals had been “so supportive” and that she was “thrilled to be able to give something back to them”.
The shock closure of the beloved pub came on January 24 after it hit financial difficulty.
But three months on, veteran pub landlords Sharon, 58, and Simon Colgan, 59, have signed an agreement to take on the joint.
They were approached by its owners Bars and Stars – who are owned by Heineken – to see if they would like to take on the historic venue.
The duo who run 12 pubs in partnership all across the UK agreed, singing the documents on April 22.
Since then they have pumped £80,000 into refurbishments which include new carpets, a full re-paint, French polished tables and chairs, and updated outdoor benches.
The duo have also invested in new glass washers and a coffee machine.
They have even hired a new head chef and upgraded parts of the kitchen – purchasing new equipment like a cooker, new utensils, and microwaves.
Sharon said the boozer is “worth every penny”.
She said: “The pubs we are used to are what you would call old man pubs with proper ale and proper pub grub to fill customers’ belly.
“This is a new adventure for us – a little above our pay grade – but we are very excited to see where it takes us.”
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The Windmill Inn sits in Linton which is Yorkshire’s most exclusive village.
One of it Streets – Linton Lane – was found to have an average house price an eye-watering £1,791,000.
It was also rumoured that James Bond star Daniel Craig lived in the area.
Sharon appointed Michelle Landers, 49, and Rob Lamb, 55, as landlords to run its day to day business.
The couple have worked with Sharan and Simon before running one of their earliest projects, The World’s End in Knaresborough, North Yorks, five years ago.
Michelle said: “The community feel of this pub is second to none.”
“Whilst we have been cleaning and preparing for it’s reopening residents have been popping by telling us how thankful they are it is returning.
“We are really pleased with how it has come out so far – we are chuffed about the whole project.”
Sharon and Simon will pay £4,250 a month – £51,000 a year – to keep the doors open.
She said: “It’s not cheap but we know it will be worth it.
“We weren’t planning on taking on another location, but it is such a historic place in such a stunning location, we found it hard to say no.”
The duo are keen on keeping prices low but offering upgrades for those who are willing to pay.
Pints will cost range from £4.80 to £5 with the average meal setting customers back around £18.
The pub also sells sharing platters including steak and shrimp priced at £65.
The most expensive spirit is a single malt whisky which cost £7 for a single.
Sharon says the couple will pump all profits back into the pub to keep it going for a “couple hundred more years”.
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