Work under way to restore Bury St Edmunds pub after Cycle King fire

Work is under way to restore a Bury St Edmunds pub which was damaged after a major fire destroyed a neighbouring bike shop.

David Marjoram, owner of The One Bull, said the damage to the pub ‘initially didn’t look too bad’ following the blaze at Cycle King on September 29 but the true scale of the impact soon became clear.

To stop the fire spreading to the Angel Hill pub, firefighters had to spray water on to the walls of the upstairs flat which worked its way down into the bar below.

“Within a few days the damp started being very obvious and it meant there was significant damage to the oak floor around the bar area,” Mr Marjoram said.

They have had to remove the floor as well as the back bar, a large wine rack and plaster to dry out the walls.

Based on current advice from experts, they are aiming to reopen for mid-November.

Mr Marjoram, his wife Roxane and their two daughters live in the flat above the pub and are staying in holiday accommodation outside of Bury while the flat is made habitable.

While The One Bull is closed, they are running a pop-up Sunday roast dinner at The Beerhouse, in Tayfen Road.

Although the last two weeks have been ‘very difficult’, Mr Marjoram praised the ‘amazing’ response of the community.

“Within the first 24 hours I had 150 private emails and messages from people offering support and help,” he said.

Cycle King plans to open a temporary shop in Bury while the Angel Hill shop is rebuilt.

Francela restaurant, which suffered damage, hopes to reopen ‘as soon as possible’.

Two men, who were arrested on suspicion of arson, remain under police investigation. The fire service is continuing to assist the police.