Four homes and 14th century pub destroyed in Devon village fire

• The scenes this morning and into the afternoon as crews continue to tackle the blaze

A fourteenth-century pub in a village in Devon has been badly damaged following a major fire.

The Tradesman’s Arms in Stokenham went up in flames on the morning of 27 September.

Four other homes were destroyed in the blaze, which prompted a major response from emergency services including firefighters and police.

The A379 was closed temporarily - but has since reopened - while the fire service remains at the scene.

'Devastated'

Staff at The Tradesman's Arms posted a short statement on their Facebook page.

They said: "As you may be aware, we suffered a major fire last night which has devastated the pub.

"We are currently trying to contact all our booked B&B guests and diners. Please bear with us."

Local resident Gill Smith said: “It’s devastating. It was such an integral part of the community. Everybody has rallied round, people have bought deliveries from the local shop just to provide the essentials. We’ve lost everything in the fire.”

A picture posted by Kingsbridge Police shows the extent of the damage at the pub.

“A fire has destroyed four residential homes and The Tradesman's Arms, Stokenham,” Kingsbridge Police said.

“Other than minor smoke inhalation, there were no significant injuries.

“Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service remain on scene to dampen down and investigate the cause of the fire.

“The main A379 is now open but be aware of personnel operating in the area.”

South Ham District Council’s Leader, Cllr Judy Pearce, said: “We are so very sorry to hear about the devastating fire last night in Stokenham that has resulted in the loss of four family homes and a much loved historic community pub.

“Our officers worked through the night to help with any emergency housing needs and will continue to offer support, if needed. We continue to work with our emergency services partners to support the community any way we can.”