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Picture source: Adrian Platt

The Woodpecker Inn is now scheduled for demolition. Previously known as the Carew Arms Hotel.

I was shocked to be surfing the Internet with regard to The Woodpecker Inn!   My grandfather ran it when it was The Carew Arms Hotel during the war years and I have very happy memories of many happy times spent there as a child (and a lot of photographs)!    The Americans were regulars there and the local Hunt used to meet there too.   It stood on a much quieter road of course and with a lot of surrounding land.   My grandfather used to keep geese and ferrets!! I did go back many years later once it had become the Woodpecker and was surprised that an original member of staff actually remembered who I was!! It is very sad to see the state the old place is in now.  Has it actually been demolished yet?

Pat Blanchard

Just to let you know that The Woodpecker Inn is still standing but it won't be for much longer! I stopped & had a look on New Years Day 2009 & what was the upstairs is now stacked in the middle of the building between the main bar & the toilet area, a lot of the windows & doors are smashed, the place is covered in graffiti & there are several holes in various walls. The place is now a death trap!

Neil Armstrong

My parents moved in to Glazebrook Lodge in 1946 when Commander Lyons bought Glazebrook House, I was born not long after they moved in and grew up there. I can recall my father mentioning Mr Oxley and also Bob Sloman who i think followed on after the Oxleys. Another name that comes to mind was Billie Willcox or similar and a few years later Jack & Peggy Ellis and also the Cardy Family and many more. It is sad to see it go as it was my father's local and my own for many years but i must say i am surprised that it survived as long as it did after the new road was built. This was probably due to the valiant efforts of the people who ran it in these latter years. The ironic thing is that Turtley mill became a restaurant in this time and Glazebrook House went from gentlemans residence to Hotel so locally its is One down, Two up if you try an find a positive side. The place leaves me with many happy memory's and may be it is better that it is now gone as the last time i went past it was looking very sorry for it self.

Bob March

My dad ran the Carew Arms for three to four years, and I went to Ivybridge School. I would say that they were the best years I had as a child. My dog Cum is buried in the car park were there were bamboo canes backing onto Trott's chicken farm. Michael White, the butcher's son owned the one armed bandits in the pub and down the lane lived Arthur Marsh who came to my wedding in Portsmouth with his wife Daisy. I would be surprised that the Carew could be demolished as it must be a listed building.  I was told as a child that it was built by Carew Pole for one of his lady friends. It was originally a coaching inn and there was a forge in one of the out buildings.

Richard Cardey

I owned the woodpecker at south Brent from 1997 to 2000 I bought it from Bill Glass this place ate money like it was going out of fashion just shame more locals never used it, Laurence of Arabia was said to have used it when visiting his mother who lived in the area

Robin O'Hara (June 2014)

Other Photos

Picture source: Pat Blanchard

Picture source: Pat Blanchard

Picture source: Pat Blanchard

Picture source: Pat Blanchard

Picture source: Pat Blanchard

Picture source: Pat Blanchard

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