A Knaresborough pub which was ravaged by fire last year could be rebuilt as a pub, convenience store and apartment block, under new plans.

The Cricketers on Thistle Hill in Calcutt burnt down on April 1, 2025, after fire ripped through the building in the early hours of the morning.

Marstons, which owned the pub, sold the property to “a buyer from the local community” five months later.

Now, a planning application has now been made to demolish existing buildings and erect a convenience store, pub and seven apartments, as well as space for two self-build dwellings.

The plans, submitted by The Ashes Pub Company, emphasise that the exterior of the building will be changed very little in appearance. 

The main building, on the footprint of the former pub, will contain a shop on the bottom floor with residential apartments on the upper floors.

A separate section of the land will be used to build a new pub, with a terrace looking out across the cricket pitch.

A community consultation event was held on June 19, 2026 with over 70 local people present, and it is reported that comments were largely positive in nature.

The report says that support was given to replace the pub and provide a “much needed” convenience store, and that it was appreciated that the current pub was an eyesore.

Main concerns involve issues around car parking space, and so as well as the six spaces on the pub site, and agreement has also been made with the Cricket Club to use their land for overspill parking.

The second part of the plan is for a chunk of land, formally the beer garden, to be sold to help fund the redevelopment of the main site.

The request is for outline approval to build two three-bedroom houses – although this would be done by a SME developer or self-builder. 

North Yorkshire Council will make a decision on the plan at a later date.

The plans to flatten and rebuild the pub on Thistle Hill in Calcutt come as the site was devastated by a fire in April last year.

Devastated by fire

Firefighters from Knaresborough, Harrogate, Acomb, Tadcaster, Ripon and Wetherby were called to the Cricketers pub on Thistle Hill in Calcutt at 4.02am on April 1 after fire ripped through the building.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said the fire had caused "100% damage" to the building, which destroyed the roof.

At the time of the fire, residents spoke to the Stray Ferret about about their sense of loss for a pub that had long stood as a landmark at the junction where Forest Moor Road meets Thistle Hill.

One woman described the fire as "dramatic" and "like something from War of the Worlds".

Formerly the Union, it was refurbished in 2019 and re-opened as The Cricketers, earning a 4/5 rating on Tripadvisor and positive reviews for its food, decor, cleanliness and welcome.

No injuries were reported as a result of the fire.