New Forest pub due to reopen after being flooded is under water again within weeks

More heavy rain means the Woolpack in Sopley is under water yet against weeks later. Credit: ITV Meridian

The owners of a village pub in the New Forest say they're devastated after being flooded out for a second time in three weeks.

The Woolpack in Sopley was forced to close in January during Storm Chandra.

After the start of an extensive refurbishment, it was due to re-open in March, but more heavy rain means it's under water yet against weeks later.

Many places along the coast have already seen twice the average rainfall for February, and there could be more to come.

The pub has flooded for the second time in three weeks. Credit: ITV Meridian

Landlady of the Woolpack, Barbara Smith, told ITV Meridian she thought they'd seen the worst of it.

"We knew we were going to have to rip up all the floors," she said.

"The walls have been cleared, all the cladding, all the bars been dismantled. We're just finishing drying everything out.

"We really thought that was the end of it, and then last night we'd had a bit of a flood warning.

"We weren't sure, but even so, we still didn't think it would do what it did before, and then seven o'clock this morning, it's just all happened again.

"We're just devastated."

  • Landlady of the Woolpack, Barbara Smith

The last time it happened, the cause was obvious - an overtopping River Avon gushing into the car park and buildings.

But this time it appears floodwater is coming up through the floor, a sign the groundwater system is completely saturated following weeks of heavy rain.

"Obviously, the pub's been here for hundreds of years, you know, and it's a wonderful pub," Barbara added.

"So we're certainly not going to let this beat us at all, and we're the last thing left in the village - we really are the hub of the community."

The pub was due to reopen in March after previously being flooded. Credit: ITV Meridian

Barbara says they have been offered support from the local community, and are hoping the setback doesn't happen again so they can reopen soon.

"Our dehumidifiers have been going for the last couple of weeks.

"We've got to go back to the start again of drying everything out, and it's probably going to take a couple more weeks than we thought, which is a shame.

"But we're incredibly grateful and thankful to the locals and can't wait to open.

"Fingers crossed it doesn't happen again."

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