The Duke of Hamilton Pub opened in 1721 at this location in Hampstead. It was a favorite haunt of British actors Peter O'Toole and Oliver Reed.
In 2015, a group of community activists in Hampstead (the Hampsted Neighborhood Forum) approached the Camden County Council to designate the Dike of Hamilton an Asset of Community Value. Over the opposition of the pub's current owner (in 2015) Steve Coxshall, the petition was granted.
Coxshall retaliated by promptly banning all 800 members of the Hampstead Neighborhood Forum group from his pub.
[Note for Americans: 'punters' us a British terms for customers or users. It is not usually considered derogatory.]
From the London Daily Mail: (
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Landlord bars 800 punters from his pub after they campaign to make it harder for him to sell – calling them 'hypocrites in cardigans who only drink half pints'
Landlord bans 800 punters from pub, calling them 'hypocrites in cardigans'
All are members of a community group who campaigned to save their pub
But landlord Steve Coxshall unhappy that it makes it harder for him to sell
Accused them of not putting money into pub and only drinking half pints
By SAM TONKIN FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 11:28 EST, 12 November 2015
A landlord has barred 800 punters from his pub after they successfully campaigned to make it more difficult for him to sell off.
Steve Coxshall, the ex-manager of boyband Blue, called the community group 'hypocrites in cardigans' and accused them of failing to fully support his business because they only drink half pints.
His anger was sparked by Camden Council's decision to list the 300-year-old Duke of Hamilton pub in Hampstead, North West London, as an 'Asset of Community Value' (ACV).
It means that if Mr Coxshall decided to sell the pub the community would have six months to try and raise enough money to buy it off him.
But the former stockbroker believes he shouldn't have to wait that long if his business goes into a nosedive and he needs to sell quickly to pay his bills.
He said: 'They are all barred from the pub.
'I bought the pub to save it. But if you've got a pub and there is an economic downturn, what is the point of an ACV if there is no business?
'If you have a six-month window where you can't sell it, who is going to pay the bills?
'They haven't put any money into the pub - they are just a bunch of hypocrites in cardigans.'
Mr Coxshall said he didn't want his pub listed as an ACV, which forces him to first notify his local council if he wants to sell it so that locals have a chance to take it over.
But the proposal was approved by Camden Council this week following a campaign by members of the Hampstead Neighbourhood Forum.
Mr Coxshall, who bought the pub five years ago, has now lodged a formal objection to the ACV with the council and banned members of the forum from his pub, a favourite of the late English actor and well-known hellraiser Oliver Reed.
Mr Coxshall told the Camden New Journal: 'They don't drink in here and if they do come in, they only order half of a half pints.'
Janine Griffis, chair of Hampstead Neighbourhood Forum, said: 'I think it would be unfortunate if Steve didn't want members to come because we have over 800 members.
'We are delighted that Camden have decided to list The Duke, and we wish Steve and the pub all the best.'
Local Nick Lavender, 43, said: 'The Duke is a fantastic pub - it's certainly something worth preserving.
'If it is to survive, though, people need to put their money where they mouths are and actually come through the door and have a few drinks.
'It's not like the people around here are short of a bob or two, but they are probably at home sipping chablis rather than sitting down for a pint. I'm with Steve.'
ACV's were introduced under the Localism Act 2011 and are defined as 'land or property of importance to a local community which is subject to additional protection from development'.
It states: 'The owner of an asset of community value must inform the local authority if they wish to sell the asset.
'If a group wants to buy the asset, they can trigger a moratorium for six months, to give them a chance to raise the money to purchase the asset.""
And from the Camden New Journal: (
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"Landlord tells Hampstead conservationists in pub listing row: You're all barred!
Steve Coxshall at the Duke of Hamilton bar, pictured with his friend Gail Porter, has called the Hampstead Neighbourhood Forum 'hypocrites in cardigans'
Published: 11 November, 2015
By ELLA JESSEL
A LANDLORD has barred people he calls “hypocrites in cardigans” after they organised a protection order for his pub despite his opposition to the move.
Steve Coxshall, licensee of the Duke of Hamilton in New End, said members of Hampstead Neighbourhood Forum were no longer welcome after they successfully applied for the pub to be listed as an “asset of community value” – known as an ACV – at the Town Hall.
It is one of 12 pubs which the forum wants to see protected by planning legislation in a bid to prevent their closure.
Under the listing, community groups must be given an option to buy the pub should it ever go up for sale. They are given six months to come up with the cash.
The ACV legislation does not prevent owners from selling the pub to another buyer after the six-month period is up.
But Mr Coxshall said: “They are all barred from the pub. I bought it to save it. But if you’ve got a pub and there is an economic downturn, what is the point of an ACV if there is no business? If you have a six-month window where you can’t sell it, who is going to pay the bills? They haven’t put any money into the pub – they are just a bunch of hypocrites in cardigans. They don't drink in here and if they do come in, they only order half of a half pints.”
He has lodged a formal objection after the council agreed to the ACV application this week, insisting that the forum members do not drink in his pub and that customers are not local and therefore do not “contribute to the social wellbeing” of the community.
The Town Hall gave two other Hampstead pubs ACV protection this week – the Holly Bush in Holly Mount and the King William IV in Hampstead High Street.
Camden defended the ACV listing for the Duke of Hamilton by pointing to the 2010 “Save the Duke” campaign and the participation of the pub theatre in the Camden Fringe Festival as evidence of the “strength of local feeling” for the venue.
Janine Griffis, chair of Hampstead Neighbourhood Forum, said: “I think it would be unfortunate if Steve didn’t want members to come because we have over 800 members. We are delighted that Camden have decided to list The Duke, and we wish Steve and the pub all the best.”
The forum originally hoped to secure a “blanket listing” for all of the area’s 12 pubs but after realising the applications are “quite a lot of work” is now nominating venues individually.
The Grade II-listed Holly Bush was the first pub nominated by the forum to be awarded ACV listing. Manager Ben Relth said: “It is a well-established pub and now it’s guaranteed to be here for the future.” "