Trending
This remote North West island is looking for a ‘king or queen’ to run the 300-year-old pub
Fancy ruling over an entire island?
The opportunity of a life time has presented itself this week in the form of a remote island and its 300-year-old pub.
Piel Island, found off the coast of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, is on the lookout for someone to manage the entire island as well as run its historic Ship Inn pub.
Applicants can now apply for a ten-year lease to manage the island, which is accessible only by ferry and features a ruined 14th Century castle, as well as take charge of the pub.
And if you’re still not convinced, Barrow Borough Council says the successful applicant will be crowned as the ‘monarch’ of the island in a traditional – and very boozy – ceremony.
Simon Ledingham / Wikimedia Commons
Tradition says the new landlord will be crowned ‘King of Piel’ and will sit in an ancient chair, wearing a helmet and holding a sword as alcohol is poured over their head.
Sounds like a standard night down the pub, to be honest.
The council is the custodian of the island and wants a new operator in place for the summer season, describing Piel Island as ‘a great asset to Cumbria’.
However, Steph Cordon, the borough council’s director of people and place, also warned that the island is ‘a unique place and any operator needs to appreciate the constraints offered by power and weather’.
She also pointed out that all aspects of the island, except for external urgent repairs to the buildings and jetty maintenance, needed to be the responsibility of any future operator.
Ian Taylor / Geograph
On its tourism website, Barrow Council said of the unique job opportunity: “One of the most enduring aspects of the Ship Inn is the tradition of the king and knights of Piel.
“The tradition holds that each new landlord is crowned King of Piel in a ceremony of uncertain origin, in which they sit in an ancient chair, wearing a helmet and holding a sword while alcohol is poured over their head.
“By the 19th Century it had become an important aspect of the island’s history to such an extent that responsibility for looking after the helmet and chair fell within the tenancy agreement.”
The job search will get underway this month with a proposed start date of April. For more information, head over to the Barrow Borough Council website.