The George Hotel

The George Hotel in Hatherleigh has been almost totally destroyed by fire. The loss of this glorious centuries-old pub is, in pub terms, a tragedy. All that history up in smoke; it can never be restored. But the George can be rebuilt, just as the good old Chichester Arms in Bishops Tawton rose from the ashes after a devastating fire three years ago. Careful and intelligent design and good North Devon craftsmanship should see the Hatherleigh landmark back in action, hopefully quicker than we might imagine while looking now at the North Devon Journal's brutal footage of the inferno.