Guilden Morden Community Pub Ltd
Proud Owners of The Three Tuns, Guilden Morden
The Three Tuns, Guilden Morden - Timeline
1853
Simpson’s Brewery of Baldock (founded in the 1730s) acquired Pryor’s tied estate that included The Three Tuns.
1954
Simpson’s Brewery sells the pub to Greene King & Sons Ltd.
2013
Linda Walsh retires as landlady after nine years and the pub owner - Green King - closes the pub and sells it to a property developer. The Three Tuns Action Group (TTAG) is formed.
2014
The Three Tuns is designated as an Asset of Community Value (ACV).
2016
Planning Inspectorate refuses planning application (upholding SCDC recommendation). TTAG broadened to become The Three Tuns Community Group (TTCG).
2018
GMCP agrees on terms with the owner to buy the pub for the community. A share offer is successful in raising over £250k from over 265 investors.
In November, The Three Tuns purchase is completed and the extensive refurbishment - by our team of passionate volunteers - begins.
2023
In April, after many months of searching for a suitable tenant, GMCP welcomed Scott and Sarah Martin as our new tenants and they plan to re-open the pub in June.
GMCP Chair, Mike Allton, hands over the keys to them so as to continue the success story that is The Three Tuns public house.
2026
On July 20th, GMCP Ltd welcomed Phil Brown and Becky Marshall as our new tenants. They came to us, highly recommended, from a successful six-year tenancy at The Royal Oak in Potton.
We wish them all the best in their tenancy, and they have great plans for The Three Tuns public house.
1851
The Three Tuns is recorded as a public house in the UK’s census – it has probably been a pub for over 300 years.
1948
Mr & Mrs Jack Gray retire as licencees (length of tenure unknown). Claude Pearce takes over as landlord.
1977
Claude & Kathleen (Bink) Pearce retire. Nick Crane takes over as landlord and after 26 years at the helm, retires in 2003. Linda Walsh takes over from Nick.
2015
The new owner applies for a change of use of The Three Tuns from a pub to a house. South Cambs District Council (SCDC) recommends refusal of the planning application in March 2016.
2017
TTCG registers Guilden Morden Community Pub Ltd (GMCP) as a Community Benefit Society in order to be able to buy The Three Tuns. The owner then puts the pub up for sale.
2019
In May, Peter and Megan Friskey become GMCP's first tenants and reopen the pub in June.
Here GMCP Chair, John Harrison, hands over the keys, thus starting a new chapter in the history of The Three Tuns. The tenancy manages to survive the pandemic but ends in August 2022.
2026
In April, Scott and Sarah decided not to renew their lease. GMCP members then spent three months running pop-up openings, with local food vans keeping everyone well-fed.
New tenants had already been found, but they were tied to their employer until mid-July.
The pop-ups were hard work, but great fun! Special thanks go to Elliot Oakman and Jorja Herd for being outstanding bar staff!
