Fire closes Brockweir village shop opened by King Charles

Brockweir and Hewelsfield Village Shop was opened by King Charles - then Prince of Wales - back in December 2004.

It has proved a popular spot for locals and visitors to the Wye Valley ever since.

In recent days however, the shop has been forced to close after a fire broke out in the roof.

On the morning of Monday, June 19, a fire started in the roof of the shop above the cafe area.

The Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service were called and after some time the fire was put out.

No one was reported to have been hurt and the fire did not spread to the entire building.

However the shop did suffer significant fire and water damage and a considerable amount of work will be necessary to restore it to a fully functioning business again.

Owners have said that the shop therefore will remain closed for the foreseeable future.

Writing on their website, the owners said: "The shop is a very important part of our community and its temporary closure will be very hard on staff, volunteers, locals and visitors to the area.

"We were justifiably proud that even through Covid we remained open, providing a vital service to the community.

"The shop staff will continue to work from a temporary office carrying out all the behind the scenes paperwork necessary to running a business, and with the committee, will work towards reopening the shop.

​"We are extremely grateful for all the messages and offers of help we have already received, we will certainly need your support in the coming months.

"We thank you for your previous custom and hope that it will not be too long before we are able to welcome you back to the shop."

A temporary replacement is planned and could be located in the car park, but this is in early stages at this time.

To offer support to Brockweir and Hewelsfield Village Shop, you can email enquiries@bandhvillageshop.co.uk