Ten Bells in Stonham Aspal reopens as village shop with pub plans to follow

A derelict village pub has been given a new lease of life after a man invested his life savings to refurbish it.

Michael Stewart, 67, of Ipswich, has transformed the Ten Bells pub in The Street, Stonham Aspal into a convenience store with plans to reopen part of it as a pub and coffee lounge soon.

The pub, which closed in 2013 and was sold the following year, briefly operated as a Mexican food shop before shutting again.

Mr Stewart has now spent two years and more than £280,000 bringing the building back into use.

“It’s been a huge project to undertake on my own, but it will definitely be worth it,” he said.

“Most of the work I’ve done myself, so it’s been a tall order.”

The 16th-century building takes its name from Stonham Aspal’s rare set of 10 church bells — more than Earl Stonham’s five and Debenham’s eight.

The upgrade from five bells to 10 was made in 1742 by Squire Ecclestone of Crowfield, a keen bellringer, who modified the church tower to accommodate the larger peal.

Now reopened as Ten Bells Convenience Store and operated by Premier, the shop is already proving popular with residents.

Mr Stewart said: “The feedback so far has been excellent. Customers have been very pleased to see a shop like this in the village — the first signs have been really positive.”

This venture marks a new chapter for Mr Stewart, whose background includes touring as a musician in Nashville, working as a lithographer and publishing a book.

The shop is open from 6am to 9pm on weekdays and 7am to 10pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

He plans to reopen the other side of the building in the coming months.