Pub near festival site up for lease

By Laura Linham 23rd Jul 2026

Local News by Laura Linham 23rd Jul 2026

A 15th century freehouse near the Glastonbury Festival site has been put up for lease, with new operators being sought for The Lion at Pennard in West Pennard.

The pub, just off the A361 near Glastonbury, is being marketed by Sidney Phillips with rent listed at around £48,000 per year.

The Grade II listed stone pub comes with 12 en-suite letting rooms, flagstone bars and dining rooms, a skittles alley, a tenant's flat, patio space and a large car park.

The marketing details describe The Lion at Pennard as "a fine Grade II listed stone property of 15th century origins under a pitched pantile roof". They also note rear additions under a flat roof, plus a two-storey outbuilding housing the skittle alley and extra letting accommodation.

According to Sidney Phillips, the freeholders have invested significantly in the property over the past decade, leaving it in what the agents describe as very good "turnkey" condition. In other words, the next operator is not being handed a romantic Somerset ruin and told to bring a toolkit.

The Lion has been run by a third-party tenant since 2021, with the listing stating that the business is believed to turn over around £1.1 million a year. The pub is said to draw strong local support from West Pennard and nearby villages, as well as customers travelling in for food.

Its letting rooms are also a major part of the draw, particularly for visitors heading to Glastonbury, Wells and other nearby attractions. The listing says the accommodation reaches 100% occupancy around Glastonbury Festival and The Royal Bath & West Show, with rooms also regularly booked by parents visiting pupils at Millfield School.

Following a formal viewing, seriously interested applicants may be given access to the tenant's trading and profit and loss accounts. Sidney Phillips says the freeholders want a new and experienced operator to continue running the business on the same trajectory.