A POPULAR town centre pub has closed suddenly, with the owners blaming a 75 per cent hike in rent and a council-backed complaint from neighbours for their decision to pull the plug.

The shock closure of the Castle Inn comes just over a year after the town's historic Queen's Head and former Conservative Club both suddenly shut their doors, neither of which have reopened.

And it leaves the town of 11,000 people with just eight pubs still trading, with just one, the Robin Hood, on Monnow Street.

Last orders have been called at the Castle Inn
Last orders have been called at the Castle Inn (Beacon)

Joint owners Paul Cinderey and Carl Willett revamped and reopened the rundown and long-shut Gloucestershire House pub in 2020, pouring £100,000 into the project, and renaming it the Castle Inn after the town castle it sits beneath.

But despite being a popular watering hole for food and drink half way up the high street, and recently graded five star for food hygiene, they suddenly called time on Saturday, January 4.

Paul said: "Sadly, the landlord wanted to take the rent from £24,000 a year to £42,000 and we had issues with one of the neighbours who could smell food cooking and reported it to the environmental health officer.

"The EHO wanted an extention to the extractor chimney, which was going to cost a lot of money, plus there was no guarantee we’d get planning consent.

"So after spending over £100,000 on the building, we decided enough was enough.

"We were very lucky to have had an amazing team to work with. We felt gutted having to leave, but we may come back one day."

The closure saw townspeople take to the Monmouth New Businesses Facebook page to praise the pub, with Paul responding: "Thank you everyone for your kind comments, we are looking into various options but everything is early days, you never know, we may see you again."

Posters were united in their disappointment, one saying: "That's really sad, really nice pub.”

Another blamed council and licensing laws for contributing, saying: "To allow the gentrification of our town centres by moving residents into close proximity of businesses that survive on the income from the night time industries, is an absolute b******t move.

"For licensing to uphold those complaints surely calls for a review of the licensing laws...

"These businesses, i.e. pubs, have been around for hundreds of years and are part of the fabric of the town centre. They shouldn't be allowed to close."

Another added: "If you move next door to a pub, then you need to accept it. Utterly ridiculous to complain.

"I said five or six years ago. Monmouth will be a residential suburb one day. A few cafes and that's it."

And one poster said: "So sad to hear it has closed. Had some lovely meals there. Friendly, efficient staff and beautifully decorated.

"Yet another wonderful building left to decay. Won't be long before it's riddled with dampness and home to wildlife.

"Heartbreaking, after all the hard work that must have gone into making it the delightful place it became."