Questions remain about whether a legal bid to stop the sale of the closed Three Horseshoes public house at Turves near Whittlesey can still work- and whether the wider village is truly behind the effort. The pub has been closed for some time, sitting empty while residents campaign to save it from permanent loss or redevelopment after thwarting the owner’s original bid to sell it.
A community group has spent the past 18 months building plans, registering a legal body, applying for grants and securing the pub’s designation as an Asset of Community Value (ACV).
Despite upbeat messaging in the group’s most recent public newsletter, fundraising progress appears modest, with the official JustGiving appeal for example, showing just two supporters donating £35 toward a £200,000 target.
However, The Three Horseshoes Turves Community Hub – the overarching driver to buy the former pub – has a conditional grant of £45,000 from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority to prepare the site (structural, degradation, electrical, plumbing work etc.) to enable the group to either purchase or lease the Three Horseshoes Pub to be used as a community hub.
The Three Horseshoes may still be standing — but the fight to bring it back to life is far from straightforward.
There are three competing spheres of activity:
1: Residents formed the Turves & District Residents Association (TDRA) and later established the Three Horseshoes Turves Community Hub Ltd. Its latest report, last November, said a formal approach to buy the pub had been made.
2: Maxey Grounds continue to advertise the pub for sale. The guide price is £285,000, “for a substantial building including bars, restaurants, kitchen and owner’s accommodation”.
3: The ticking ‘timebomb’. The community hub claimed in November that the listing of the pub as Asset of Community Value in April 2024 “gives the 200 year old pub some protection from development”. However, the estate agent sales brochure provides a critical detail: the full moratorium period ended on 29th October 2024.
That means the community’s exclusive window to bid may already have passed, potentially leaving the pub fully on the open market.
A village pub with two centuries of history
The pub dates back to at least 1822, and for generations it has served as the only dedicated venue for social life in Turves.
The community fundraising page describes it bluntly: “The Three Horseshoes premises is the ONLY venue available for gatherings in Turves.”
In its heyday, it hosted everything from meals and birthday parties to election administration and village meetings.
For a rural village of around 400 residents, the pub’s closure has left a significant gap.
A Fenland planning report quoted in an October CambsNews story noted that Turves has only three designated community facilities:
“A mobile library, a non-food store, and the pub.”
Planners warned that losing it would have a serious impact:
“The loss of the pub as a community facility would have a significant detrimental impact… and potentially the wellbeing of its residents.”
Demolition threat sparked community action
The current campaign gained urgency after the owner sought permission to demolish the pub and replace it with five houses.
Fenland District Council officers were unconvinced, stating the applicant had not proven the pub was beyond saving.
“This evidence fails to adequately demonstrate that the pub is no longer financially viable and is silent on the matter regarding community need.”
They also highlighted the growing strength of local opposition: “An independent residents’ group have made significant progress in pursuing their right to bid for the pub under the ACV process.”
Planning officers concluded: “It could therefore be reasonably argued that it would be premature to conclude that there is no community need for this facility.”
The application drew dozens of letters both supporting and opposing redevelopment, reflecting a village divided over what should happen next.
Community group builds legal structure and partnerships
In response, a group of villagers formed the Turves & District Residents Association (TDRA) and later established the Three Horseshoes Turves Community Hub Ltd.
The November 2025 newsletter describes major progress: “The registration of The Three Horseshoes Turves Community Hub Limited, as a Community Benefit Society, with the Financial Conduct Authority.”
The vision goes far beyond reopening as a pub.
Plans include food and drink, a community shop, Post Office services, pop-up health support, clubs, classes and social events — tackling isolation and lack of facilities.
The society’s rules also include an asset lock: “Its assets can only be used for community benefit and cannot be distributed for private gain.”
The group has linked up with national organisations including:
- The Plunkett Foundation
- Pub is the Hub
- Campaign for Real Ale
The newsletter credits these partnerships as vital sources of advice and credibility.
Business plans, grants — and waiting for a reply
The community hub group says it has developed detailed financial plans: “The creation of business & financial plans… validated by the Plunkett Foundation & used with grant applications.”
Several grants have reportedly been submitted and some awarded, though figures have not been detailed publicly.
Publican ‘can’t justify’ demolition of Three Horseshoes pub at Turves
The group also confirmed it has made a formal approach to buy the pub:
“An expression of interest to purchase the pub emailed to both the estate agent, & the owners. A response has not yet been received.”
For sale at £285,000 — with complications
The property is currently marketed by Maxey Grounds & Co LLP, with a guide price £285,000.
But the brochure also notes an ongoing issue:
- An insurance claim for subsidence affecting part of the building
- The seller retains any cash settlement
Alongside the pub, an adjacent plot with permission for two semi-detached houses is also available.
Fundraising reality: £35 from two supporters
While planning documents and newsletters speak of ambition, the public fundraising picture looks stark.
The JustGiving page sets out a major target:
“We are raising £200,000 for a community project.”
But so far, the total raised stands at:
- £35
- 2 supporters
- Target: £200,000
Optimism, but uncertainty
In its last newsletter, published November 2025, the Hub remained upbeat, pointing to publicity success: “Publicity across the region on radio & TV… raising public interest in our campaign.”
It also outlined future plans for: “The creation of a five to ten acre community green space near the pub.”
Still, the central challenge remains: the pub is closed, the sale is live, the ACV window may have expired, and fundraising is in its infancy.
6 months to save Three Horseshoes at Turves near Whittlesey from closure
For now, the Three Horseshoes sits silent at the junction of March Road and Burnt House Road, waiting to see whether it becomes a revived village hub…
Or just another rural pub lost for good.
