EMERGENCY services were sent to a Grade II listed pub in Arborfield Cross after an outbuilding caught fire, with large flames visible.
Full details are yet to emerge, but the incident happened in the early hours of Tuesday, April 9, at The Bull Inn at the Arborfield Cross roundabout.
The pub dates back to the early 18th century, with deeds suggesting it was established by 1707.
It was the stables outbuilding next to the pub that was on fire.
The wooden structure has been seriously damaged, with the roof and walls seriously damaged.
Pub garden furniture also caught fire, this has been left out in the courtyard area.
Thames Valley Police closed roads around Arborfield Cross roundabout while the blaze was brought under control, and an image they posted at 5.45am this morning showed large flames engulfing the buildings.
However, the fire is now out, and crews from Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service are assessing the damage.
A team from Thames Water have also been called to the scene, presumably to help with the flow of water to the fire service’s efforts to dampen the flames.
The roads are now reopened, apart from a stretch of Swallowfield Road next to the stables building.
While the pub itself is a Grade II listed building, the stables is a recreation of the original.
The Arborfield Local History Society said the original buildings had deteriorated badly by 2004, and was damaged in a gale.
It was rebuilt by 2007.
The Bull Inn itself appears to be unaffected by the blaze, although there will be smoke damage.
A spokesperson for Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “At 4.07am on 9 April 2024, we received reports of a fire at a commercial premises in Swallowfield Road, Arborfield.
“Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service crews from Wokingham, Whitley Wood, Wokingham Road, Caversham Road, Bracknell, Crowthorne, Windsor, the Environmental Protection Unit from Whitley Wood and the Incident Command Unit from Maidenhead were sent to the scene. Three Officers were also sent to the scene.
“Upon arrival, firefighters found a fire affecting an outbuilding, including a large patio area. Crews wearing breathing apparatus extinguished the fire using four hose reels and three main jets, before damping down the area. Firefighters were on the scene for about three hours and 19 minutes.”
