- The Swan on the Green pub in Kent, was used for filming of ITV’s The Larkins
- Landlord Gordon Milligan is selling the pub and asked locals if they want to buy it
- Group of 11 villagers have now got six months to raise the money to buy the pub
Villagers have raised £260,000 in the hope of buying a famous local pub featured in an ITV drama.
The Swan on the Green pub in West Peckham, Kent, was used for filming of ITV’s The Larkins, starring Bradley Walsh.
Renamed ‘The Hare and Hound’, the pub was closed when filming took place in 2021 for the second series based on HE Bates’s 1958 novel, The Darling Buds of May.
But Gordon Milligan, who has owned the pub for 23 years, is now looking to sell.
Mr Milligan was concerned a new owner might convert the building – which dates back to 1526 – into housing, so he asked the villagers if they wanted to buy it instead.
The Swan on the Green pub in West Peckham, Kent, was used for filming of ITV’s The Larkins
On location: Swan Pub in West Peckham was used to film other scenes in the show (the background of a shot from the remake shows the same building)
The pub was closed when filming took place in 2021 for the second series based on HE Bates’s 1958 novel, The Darling Buds of May. Pictured is the village green
A steering group of 11 people has been set up to buy the pub – headed up by local Ray King.
He told KentOnline: ‘Mr Milligan has kindly given us six months exclusivity to come up with a plan and we have very recently agreed a price with him.
‘We are looking to source funding from the Community Ownership Grant scheme, part of the Government’s Levelling Up programme, and will of course be seeking donations from local villagers and businesses.
‘There are probably some things we would want to do – maybe a new toilet block and a refit of the kitchen.
‘So we would be looking to raise more money than just the purchase price, but it should be possible. We’ve had a lot of support already. ‘
Mr King added: ‘It [the pub] plays an important role in our community, and not just in West Peckham but wider afield with our neighbouring villages.’
The Kent hamlet provided the perfect backdrop for the filming to take place
The Larkins: (L-R) Montgomery Larkin (Liam Middleton), Petunia Larkin (Rosie Coleman),Victoria Larkin (Lola Shepelev), Zinnia Larkin (Davina Coleman), Mariette (Sabrina Bartlett), Primrose Larkin (Lydia Page), Charley (Tok Stephen), Pop Larkin (Bradley Walsh) and Ma Larkin (Joanna Scanlan)
The group is asking for pledges of support with a minimum donation of £250 – and so far, they have received £268,300.
The Larkins follows the family life of Pop Larkin (Bradley Walsh), his wife Ma Larkin (Joanna Scanlan) and their daughter Mariette (Sabrina Bartlett) as they navigate village life.
The Durrell’s screenwriter Simon Nye tells the story of the working class family, first brought to life in H.E. Bates’ 1950s novel, for a new generation of fans who missed out on the nineties classic, which gave Hollywood star Catherine Zeta Jones her acting breakthrough.
The main focus is the love story between Mariette and village newcomer Charley who arrives in their village to investigate the family’s tax affairs, but is quickly distracted by his feelings for Mariette.
