A Grade II listed pub in Marlow which has been a landmark in the town for over 50 years closed its doors yesterday (August 5) – but all hope for the future is not lost yet.

The George and Dragon on The Causeway has served food and drink to Marlovians – under the helm of different pub chains – since the 1960s.

It came as sad, if not completely surprising news when current owner Whitbread Inns confirmed the site would be among 200 sites across the UK facing closure after being dubbed “lower returning” venues back in the spring - a move that was estimated to cut around 1,500 jobs nationwide.

Over half of the pubs in question were earmarked for conversion into hotel rooms for adjoining Premier Inns, another brand under Whitbread’s ownership, with the others put on the market or subject to quickly-ushered-through sales to fellow hospitality chains – 21 of which had reportedly already gone through when the announcement was made back in April.

And since The George and Dragon shut up shop for the last time, local murmurings have suggested it is among the latter group and is already posed for a refurbishment and reopening at the expense of a major pub brand.

Despite initially seeming to be a contender for the Premier Inn integration scheme – with the budget hotel sandwiched between the pub and All Saints Church on The Causeway – a spokesperson for Whitbread has confirmed that a sale is underway, with more details to come in due course.

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They said: “The site is in the process of being sold as a going concern. The last day of operation was yesterday when we served our last (unlimited) breakfasts.

“We would like to say a big thanks to the local community for their support over the years”

The closure was announced in July, just months after general manager Sumukh Kondaskar told the Free Press the business had yet to fully recover after Buckinghamshire Council issued a penalty notice forcing them to remove all outdoor seating after it was judged to be encroaching on the public highway.

The temporary measure, resolved through an “unexpectedly difficult” process of obtaining a table and chairs licence, spelt bad news for the pub nonetheless, however, falling as it did in the busy Easter holidays – with Mr Kondaskar going so far as to say it “pretty much killed” the pub’s trade during that period.

With JD Wetherspoon arriving at Market Square in just a few weeks, a takeover of The George and Dragon could see the High Street bookended by hospitality giants before the year is over. Watch this space!