Community shares
Capital at risk — please be aware of the risks associated with investing in community shares.
Save The Railway Inn Norton Bridge
Stone, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
Help them get started
Your support makes a difference
Aim
Our aim is to buy the freehold of the Railway Inn and reopen it as a community-owned hub which will welcome locals and visitors alike.
We're raising £300,000 to buy and reopen The Railway Inn, Norton Bridge, the village pub that closed in January 2025, as a community-owned hub for everyone to enjoy. Shares start from just £250, with early investors eligible for up to 50% back through SEIS tax relief. Read on for the full story, or invest now to help bring the heart of the village back to life.
The Izaak Walton Bar (envisaged) and below how it looks now.
The Aim
To restore the heart and soul of Norton Bridge by purchasing and re‑opening The Railway Inn, bringing back a warm, welcoming community hub for villagers and visitors alike.
The "Fish Alcove" in the Izaak Walton Bar (envisaged) and below how it looks now
Introduction
The included images are of what we want The Railway Inn to look like once we have purchased the building. They are AI enhanced using original photographs of the interiors as they are at present
The Save the Railway Inn Steering Group was formed in September 2025 to raise the funds needed to buy and re-open The Railway Inn, which has been closed since January of that year. The pub was granted Asset of Community Value status in early 2025, recognising its importance to village life.
We must raise £300,000 to purchase, renovate, and refurbish the building, returning it to its former glory and creating a vibrant, friendly venue for everyone. Like many rural communities, Norton Bridge has suffered from the loss of shared spaces. We aim to reverse that — rebuilding social cohesion and providing a place where people can meet, talk, laugh, and feel part of something again.
The Vision
The following Images are of what we aim to achieve once we have ownership of the building.
The Railway Lounge (envisaged) and below how it looks now
Our vision is simple: to bring The Railway Inn back into the heart of the community.
Every fundraising event — quizzes, bingo nights, and our pop‑up pub — has shown us just how much people long for a place to gather casually, catch up, and put the world to rights. We will provide exactly that.
The revived Railway Inn will include:
- Two trading rooms, fully renovated
- A large, previously under-used beer garden, transformed into a lively outdoor space
- A casual meeting room for crafting groups, reading clubs, small business meetings, and community gatherings
- A daytime coffee shop/tea room serving light snacks
- Pop‑up food vendors in the evenings
- A true village hub, open and welcoming to all
This will be a place where friendships grow, ideas spark, and the community thrives.
Our Team
No AI used here. We really look like this :-)
Our Steering Group brings together a powerful mix of skills: administration, accounting, VAT and PAYE, pub management, IT and social media, publicity, and marketing. We also have a retired Chartered Surveyor and members connected to the local Parish Council. Combined with a wealth of practical life experience, we have the expertise and determination needed to make this project succeed.
The History
The Railway Inn has stood at the centre of Norton Bridge for nearly 200 years. When the North Staffordshire Railway opened around 1845, the 18th‑century farmhouse of Rushy Croft was extended with a striking Victorian frontage to become The Railway Hotel. The village itself grew around the railway and still holds deep nostalgia for rail enthusiasts. It is believed to be the oldest railway‑connected pub in Staffordshire, a heritage we intend to celebrate in our décor and themes.
Over the centuries, the building has served many roles:
- Lodge for the Oddfellows Association
- Livestock market
- Horticultural showground
- Local office of the Coroner
- Home to a micro‑brewery
The last tenant — the brewery — closed in January 2025. We aim to purchase the freehold, ensuring long‑term sustainability without the burden of rent.
The pub may also have echoed with the voices of American servicemen stationed at nearby transit camps during World War II. The area still has strong USAAF connections, especially in nearby Stone.
The celebrated angler and writer Izaak Walton, born in Stafford, lived just a few hundred yards away at Shallowford. His work inspired societies worldwide, particularly in the USA. We intend to theme one of our bars around him and his legacy.
The Meeting Room ( envisaged - set up for a business meeting in this image)
The Business
Since forming the Steering Group, we have held several public meetings and secured over £100,000 in pledges, supported by exceptionally well‑attended fundraising events. To reach our target of £300,000, we now need the final push.
We have already completed all legal requirements to establish our not‑for‑profit Community Benefit Society, adopted the FCA Model Rules, registered with HMRC, and produced a comprehensive Business Plan and Share Prospectus. Our organisation is formally constituted as The Railway Inn Community Pub Ltd.
Investors can purchase £1 shares, with a minimum investment of £250 and a maximum of £100,000. This is a social investment, not a profit‑making venture — but investors can claim back up to 50% of their investment through the HMRC Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS). Full details are available in our Business Plan and Share Prospectus.
National Press Coverage in The i Newspaper (150000 per day print and digital versions)
Stafford MP Leigh Ingham has given our project her full support and even mentioned us in the House of Commons. Pictured here with our Chair and another member of the steering group on a recent visit to the pub .
Conclusion
With your support, we can bring this vision to life. 95% of community‑owned pubs are still trading, many for more than twenty years — a testament to the passion and commitment shared ownership inspires.
Please invest and help us restore The Railway Inn as the beating heart of Norton Bridge once again.
The Beer Garden (envisaged)
The Coffee Bar/Tea Room Patio (envisaged)
Limited edition print
A chance to own a piece of history in this limited edition print of a special painting by local artist Tony Pugh. Commissioned by the committee and limited to only 250 copies. Soon to be available to purchase through our website at www.railwayinn.org
The next fundraiser will be David and Bens Pub Quiz on 8th October. Previous quizzes have all been popular so get your tickets early. All details are on the poster.
Our recent fund-raising and awarenes events have includud a Pop-Up Pub, Quiz Nights, Bingo Nights and Garden Party which were exceptionally well attended.
Pop-up pub which was attended by around 150 customers from far and wide...and we sold out of drinks.
Bingo Night - Eyes Down
Our resident Bingo Caller in his infamous Sparkly Jacket
Quiz Night - Now what is the capital of Guinea-Bissau?
Garden Party/Big Raffle
Watch this space for news of forthcoming fund-raising events.
In early September 2026 members of the steering group held a promotional stall at the local Eccleshall Show to promote the share issue. The village show attracts around 5000 visitors. There were giveaways and the chance to buy a limited edition print of a painting by local artist Tony Pugh depicting the pub in its hey-day. Something we would like to get back to with your help
The Stone and Eccleshall Gazette (delivered to 14000 homes) carried the above story written by our Chair. Is The Railway Inn the oldest railway connected pub in Staffordshire? We think it is unless some-one out there knows better.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 3rd November 2026 at 12:00pm