The Red Lion in Southwick to open "as soon as circumstances allow" after sudden closure in March
The owners of a pub in a historic Hampshire village which closed suddenly in March have announced they hope it will be open in the “very near future”.
The Red Lion in Southwick closed in March 2025, with the then landlord, Calvin Swann, deciding to move on to a different pub once the lease had ended. Since then the popular pub, owned by the Southwick Estate, has been closed with Fullers’ tenancy of the pub also ending.
However, it has now been confirmed that plans are in motion to ensure the pub’s long term future with a new landlord also named.
Writing in the Southwick and Boarhunt Parish Magazine, David Pardoe of The Southwick Estate said: “The new short plan for The Red Lion is that it will reopen as soon as circumstances allow with Paul Osborne at the helm.
“Paul, his family and team, are as excited as the Estate at this prospect and we both hope to see the pub up and running in the very near future.”
The pub owners had initially earmarked improvements to be made to the establishment but were intending to keep it open under the management of their former landlord, before his decision to step away took them by surprise.
During its closure, the owners have revealed in the Parish Magazine that they have consulted architects and conservation officers regarding improvements to the building. A planning application is expected to be submitted for the refurbishments later this year.
They are looking at addressing the “state of the outbuildings, the size of the kitchen and the positioning of the car park”.
No date has yet been confirmed as to when the Red Lion will open its doors again in the short term, the long term refurbishment plans are expected to “take some time to complete”.