The Ashes

The Puzzle Hall has had numerous owners over it’s many years of existence. In recent times there was the Sheffield brewers, Wards, followed by various ‘pub’ companies. This rarely seems to end well and their policy of maximum profits and minimum re-investment eventually resulted in their final landlord moving on to better things, and the pub closed. No-one seemed interested in taking it on, so it remained closed.

Once the shutters went up in January 2016 the elderly building began to deteriorate alarmingly quickly and was subject to vandalism and theft.

A few people have tried to buy the Puzzle Hall in the past but previous attempts to buy had always been rebuffed. However the owners now had a change of heart, probably because the realities of their business plan were coming back to haunt them.

A plan was hatched, some 233 people crowd funded the project, and the building was bought by Puzzle Hall Community Pub Limited in early 2018.

There was plenty to do! The building had been poorly maintained for many years. The toilets were an area of particular concern and had been the reason the previous landlord had walked away. Coupled with the vandalism and theft that had occurred whilst the pub was closed, the only way to ensure the Puzzle’s future was to gut the building and start again.

With the help of volunteers and local tradesmen a transformation took place.

Take a look at the photos on the other pages to see what can be achieved when people come together.