# Woodpecker Inn, Ivybridge, June 08



## Scotty (Jun 15, 2008)

3 out of 4 explores with scrub.

This place has been closed since i've move down here.
Dont know why or when.

i've recced this site a couple of times and was all ways put off by its location, right next to the A38.
any one who has travelled or will travel down to Plymouth will see this place.

couple of months ago it got boarded up, bout a week later it there was graffiti over the pub and on the boards.
it was time to stop and find away in and way in we found.

this is the only site that me and scrub has done that has almost made us vomit, there is fridges and frezers of left over food that is rotting. i'm surprised it can't get up and walk around. the smell from the chest freezers made us gag. rotting food, flys and out of date beer. great 

enjoy the pics.







Its a huddadadada















Someone worked at this place with a bad BO problem, there is tins of linx every where.





The only thing that is really left is kiddies toys.




















Stella?















This is where it starts to get gross















Yup, thats a pie!!




















Power any one?


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## Atomager (Jun 15, 2008)

LOL.
I love old pubs, but if I get round your way pub grub is off the menu. 
Looks like an eviction, so I wouldnt clean up either. It looks like there wont be many 'pubs' left at all soon.
However, some of the explores on various sites show what dumps some of these places really are, and the scratters that run them.
If anybody knows a decent pub in North Leeds please let me know.


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## Scrub2000 (Jun 15, 2008)

This was hoking in the basement/kitchen!

Good report dude! All in all a class day out urbexing!

Few from me:-


Office with the usual paperwork strewn about the place, including about 8 cans of Lynx BO Basher (other deoderants are available).





Cutting edge console





Scotty





Fairy





Nice shower curtain










Mess










Gordon Ramsey would be proud to work here










The stink was getting bad by the time we ventured down to the kitchen below










Nice colours in the pipework





This was reaking - the stench was hard core





We spent about 5 mins trying to get a pic of the insides - in between holding our breath!
Plenty of flies about





Afters anyone?





Scotty and I










Thanks,

:thumb


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## KingElvis (Jun 15, 2008)

Got to love that Sega Saturn...a great console


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## tonyque2 (Jun 15, 2008)

Looking at the state of the kitchens its just as well it is closed !!
Interesting pics Thanks


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## thompski (Jun 15, 2008)

I think that's the first games console i've seen on here, in which case well found.

Who could leave such a thing behind


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## lycos (Jun 15, 2008)

Another good one boys, glad to see so much still intact in there, the fridges etc remind me of the ones in Millennium, they hummed too!


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## MD (Jun 15, 2008)

nice pictures fellas i like old pubs too
but why do they always stink when i did the county arms in leicester it was really bad
almost made me sick


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## Richard Davies (Jun 15, 2008)

My parents have woven place mats just like the ones on the bar, & my Aunt & Unlce have chairs like the curved back ones.

Fridges & freezers should really be stored open & empty, if air & moisture gets trapped in it can really cause things to get unpleasent. My Gran found this when she left the fridge in her caravan & found it looking like somethinf from Alexander Flemming's lab.

It really does look like it was closed with no warning, I guess due to an eviction.

There's a pub near me where the landlord has nearly gone bankrupt (due to gamling debts, rather than a fall off in trade) but at least the pub is brewery owned so it will stay open.


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## *MrB* (Jun 15, 2008)

Nice work chaps, had often wondered what it was like inside. pretty disgucting it would seem. Nice one


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## Silverfox (Jun 15, 2008)

Another great explore, well done lads


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## double-six (Jun 15, 2008)

Cool explore although I think I would have ended up vomiting everywhere with the smell! lol


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## spacepunk (Jun 15, 2008)

:swoon: Yuk.
Well done guys.


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## thestig (Jun 17, 2008)

nice explore guys! years ago I used to meet up with our area sales manager there for meetings, was quite convenient being close to the a38.

That kitchen looks rotten though!


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## The_Revolution (Jun 17, 2008)

Scotty said:


> out of date beer. great



Apparently beer doesn't really go out of date - it loses its taste a bit and gets stronger with age


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## OSPA (Jun 17, 2008)

Nice find guys. It looks as if everyone just disappeared one day and left everything behind! Id love to visit and old pub.


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## Dr.Black (Jun 18, 2008)

OSPA said:


> Nice find guys. It looks as if everyone just disappeared one day and left everything behind! Id love to visit and old pub.



Sit tight OSPA - I've got a fresh one lined up for us.


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## Minter (Sep 10, 2008)

I met someone at this pub recently(purely as a meeting point, nowt to do with urbex) & had chance to have a wander around the outside. There is a sign up about the proposed plan to delmolish it sometime soon. So if anyone wants to take a gander - you better move fast!

Incidently, if anyone has that pic of a few of us stood around the bar could they PM me. Ta


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## lost (Sep 10, 2008)

I've been in a few disused hotels, but none with food left behind.

I wish I'd had a pop at these though, only a year out of date.


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## Scotty (Sep 10, 2008)

Minter said:


> I met someone at this pub recently(purely as a meeting point, nowt to do with urbex) & had chance to have a wander around the outside. There is a sign up about the proposed plan to delmolish it sometime soon. So if anyone wants to take a gander - you better move fast!
> 
> Incidently, if anyone has that pic of a few of us stood around the bar could they PM me. Ta




i think i got 1 or two.
i'll talk to lycos, i think he got most of them.


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## lycos (Sep 10, 2008)

Minter said:


> I met someone at this pub recently(purely as a meeting point, nowt to do with urbex) & had chance to have a wander around the outside. There is a sign up about the proposed plan to delmolish it sometime soon. So if anyone wants to take a gander - you better move fast!
> 
> Incidently, if anyone has that pic of a few of us stood around the bar could they PM me. Ta




hmmm, thought I did guys but cant find them? MrB took the shots i've seen, think KEF took a couple too, I'll have another look n if not, I'll see if I can get hold of them!
Laters!
P.S, Hey Minter, been boarded in anywhere recently??


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## Burt.Plymouth (Sep 10, 2008)

I keep meaning to go and have a look but cant ever be arsed !


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## Burt.Plymouth (Sep 14, 2008)

Well, had a look around this place, waste of space now, its smashed to bits, stinks real bad, we stopped for around 10mins

There are holes in the floor, and live power cables hanging around, its not a safe place to be. I know its agains the rules to mention access but due to the fact one of the doors was hanging off its been attacked hard, the kitchens been turned upside down so we didnt venture too far into it.

If your passing by, dont bother it really is a waste of time! I have a couple of pics to put up later, not very interesting tho


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## smileysal (Sep 14, 2008)

:wideeyed: omg, look at the state of that kitchen! Hope they didn't keep it like that when it was open?

Love that fireplace, I hope the idiots who got in haven't damaged any part of that, I really do like that part of the pub.

Not too sure about all that rotting food tho 

Excellent pics,

 Sal


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## Burt.Plymouth (Sep 14, 2008)

smileysal said:


> Love that fireplace, I hope the idiots who got in haven't damaged any part of that, I really do like that part of the pub.  Sal



Its being pulled down, so it wont be a nice fireplace for long!

Good riddens its a death trap !


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## Burt.Plymouth (Sep 15, 2008)

A few from me















Arrrgghhhh a ghost Sneakk !


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## Scotty (Sep 15, 2008)

that changed alot.

where did the fire go?
i wanted that.


DONT TURN THE POWER ON.

i did and i thought i started a fire. lol


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## sneakk (Sep 15, 2008)

Mate the place was a proper wreck. Holes in the ceilings, in the kitchen everything push around and wires and ceiling hanging down, upstairs wiring ripped outta walls and floors ripped up. Wasn't a good place to be!


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## Scotty (Sep 15, 2008)

sneakk said:


> Mate the place was a proper wreck. Holes in the ceilings, in the kitchen everything push around and wires and ceiling hanging down, upstairs wiring ripped outta walls and floors ripped up. Wasn't a good place to be!




shit it has changed. 

what you think of the kitchen. lol


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## sneakk (Sep 15, 2008)

It was hanging, but couldn't get much furthe than the bottom of the stairs for safety reasons. It literally was that bad. 

Like spiderwebs of electric cables!


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## lycos (Sep 16, 2008)

Scotty said:


> that changed alot.
> 
> where did the fire go?
> i wanted that.



Sod the fire... the 'KER-PLUNK' has gone off the bar, we never did finish that game!


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## sneakk (Sep 16, 2008)

It's still there mate! Marbles and all. Pics 2-4 - look for the red thing on the right hand side of the bar!


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## Burt.Plymouth (Sep 16, 2008)

even the rats refused to live there it was that much of shit hole !

A fire would have caused £1000's of pounds worth of improvments to this place


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## escortmad79 (Jan 4, 2009)

Demolition is imminant!! Paid it a visit on New Years day & most of upstairs is now piled up in the centre on the building between the main bar & the room leading to the toilets!

There are several holes in many of the walls too, the place is trashed but the high chair is still standing!!

Pics to come soon

Sad to see it in the state it's in, always had to drive past this if heading to Plymouth or Cornwall & soon it will be no more


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## Burt.Plymouth (Jan 4, 2009)

We drove past it (i cant remember when, a fair few months ago) and there were lots of fire engines & incident support units there, I guessed they were using to play around in before it was pulled down, perhaps bomb training or gas explosion


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## escortmad79 (Jan 5, 2009)

A few artices on the place taken from the Herald Express newspaper:

October 29 : "
AN OLD turnpike inn which has become a South Devon landmark could be flattened to make way for a pair of modern office blocks.
The Woodpecker Inn beside the A38 near South Brent has been boarded up for months.
Now a firm of Staffordshire-based developers want to knock the old pub down and build two three-storey office blocks across the whole site.
The Dartmoor National Park has acknowledged the old pub as a 'landmark building' and Ugborough parish councillors have said no to the office scheme because it is out of keeping with the area.
But when planners meet today they are being advised to give the go-ahead to the project which officers claims will bring employment through 'prestigious office development'.
The Woodpecker Inn is a former turnpike inn on the road from Exeter to Plymouth which, despite significant extensions and alterations, has managed to retain its 19th century façade.
Most recently it has been run as a restaurant but that too closed some time ago.
Laurie De Mel Property of Elford in Staffordshire wants permission to knock the inn down and build more than 2,000 square metres of offices set on two floors over a 52-space car parking area."

November 6: 
"PLANS for industrial-scale offices in the heart of rural South Hams have been refused by planners.
The landmark Woodpecker pub beside the A38 near South Brent was an old turnpike inn which has been boarded up for months and could be flattened to make way for a pair of modern office blocks.
Staffordshire developer Laurie De Mel Property wants to knock the old pub down and build two three-storey office blocks with car parking under and around it.
However South Hams planners overturned their officers' advice because they felt the proposal was too modern and rejected it due to its design and impact on the countryside.
The Woodpecker Inn, formerly the Carew Arms, was a former turnpike inn on the Exeter to Plymouth highway which, despite extensions and alterations, has managed to retain its 19th century facade. Most recently it was run as a restaurant.
Objector Ward Green, for the South Brent Community Action Group, said they were not against the use just the design which would replace a historically-important building: "What is proposed is an unyieldingly modern design, unremittingly urban and cutting edge. We believe a design more locally in keeping and retaining historic features may be achieved."

& this piece:

http://www.closedpubs.co.uk/devon/southbrent_woodpecker.html


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## Burt.Plymouth (Jan 6, 2009)

Funny isnt it.....

It didnt work as a pub, then they served food, and that didnt work, so it closed down. Its logic.

Rather than use the space, they would rather leave the building empty because its a "Landmark" - Correct every time i drive past it I say "Look at that shithole, We must be nearly home"

Its never going to work as a pub again, ever..... so why not change its use?


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## Scotty (Jan 6, 2009)

a bloody big house for me?


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## Burt.Plymouth (Jan 7, 2009)

dont think the HIP will be much good, low insulation


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## S1MON (Jan 9, 2009)

Went here soon after it shut, think i was one of the 1st people in there.. looked undisturbed....

Seen a article in my local paper about someones just been to court for entering and stealing wire and stuff from inside.. i'll try dig it out.


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## Random (Jan 14, 2009)

That fridge looks like it should have a human head in it.


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## GeorgieKirrin (Feb 6, 2009)

Drove past it the other day and it's finally gone.... It's a shame, that pie looked goood...


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## escortmad79 (Feb 7, 2009)

Pics from when I went:

http://derelictionaddiction.fotopic.net/c1634455.html


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## theterrorwheel (Feb 7, 2009)

shame this has gone i went to look at this place a few days ago to only find a pile of rocks where it used to be.


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## mrzogs (Apr 17, 2009)

i have driven past this place alot! i believe its been knocked down now?


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## escortmad79 (Apr 17, 2009)

Demo'd a few months back, think I may've been one of the last to get in before it went 

They were prepping it in December when I went as upstairs was piled up in the centre of the building & several large holes had been drilled in the walls!


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## v-w-chick (Jul 6, 2009)

woooh glad to see what it looks like inside now. i CANT believe i actually had a meal in that place a long time ago when i was up and running  a tasty roast lol
good pics


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## Robin Ohara (Feb 2, 2021)

Scotty said:


> 3 out of 4 explores with scrub.
> 
> This place has been closed since i've move down here.
> Dont know why or when.
> ...


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## Robin Ohara (Feb 2, 2021)

Hi 
I owned this place from 1997 to 2000 I bought it from Bill Glass and was in a bad way ,spent lots on the building and kitchen,we had a good first year but trade declined not a lot of local support 
I moved back to Dorset was managing a pub in Christchurch and seen it advertised for sale at £500,000
The place drained money ,gas and electric £3000 a quarter ,new owner spent about a year doing alterations but obviously didnt work


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## rickyt (Feb 3, 2021)

Thanks for posting, looks like someone did a moonlight flit? or was it just SoEP (Someone Else's Problem!)


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