Ed Sheeran’s local pub is forced to close after worker tests positive for coronavirus

Ed Sheeran’s local pub near his £3.7million ‘mini village’ has been forced to close after a coronavirus scare. 

A worker at The Dennington Queen in Suffolk has tested positive and has now shut until further notice. 

Ed and his wife Cherry were regulars at the pub in Dennington, near Woodbridge in Suffolk, before the coronavirus lockdown begun. 

The pub, on the A1120 which runs through the heart of the county between the A140 and A12 shared the news on their Facebook today. 

The statement said: ‘We are sorry to advise that a member of our staff has tested positive for Covid-19. 

‘We take the health of our staff & patrons extremely seriously & so with regret we have decided to implement a temporary closure whilst further staff testing and investigations are carried out. 

‘We will provide further updates as & when possible & will be contacting customers who have been in the premises recently & indeed have bookings with us in the coming week. 

‘Thank you for your understanding & patience in this matter. 

‘If you have any concerns please refer to the Government guidelines/website.’  

Landlord Jon Reeves and his wife Lorna have run the popular pub for the last 13 years but now are struggling through lockdown as it’s been forced to shut.  

Many locals are shocked because they had not expected their rural community to be affected. 

One said: ‘It’s a terrible shame and we hope the person affected will be OK. But it shows that nowhere is completely safe, even a sleepy little place like this. 

‘Jon and his team at the pub have been brilliant during the epidemic – they have organised takeaways and deliveries to some of the more vulnerable people who live here. 

‘It’s been very difficult but the whole community has come together. 

‘We are a small village of just 600 people and we all support the pub because it is a vital part of community – we only have one part-time shop. It shows that nowhere is safe from the virus.’ 

Ed grew up in historic market town Framlington and since moving close to Dennington he has transformed the modest property, even building his own pub. 

But it has not been without its critics. Some locals accuse him of over-developing the site to the detriment of wildlife and the neighbourhood.   

Building on Ed’s £3.7million ‘mini-village’ in Framlingham started in 2012 and, in April last year, he was buying the home of a neighbour for £875,000. 

His neighbour had complained ‘enough is enough’ about his building work and objected to his plans to build a tree house and 32ft chapel.

In 2012, he bought his first property – a detached farm house and surrounding land for £895,000. Around the same time, he acquired a Grade II listed 16th century home for £450,000. 

He bought the four-bed detached house opposite for £925,000 in 2016 and the bungalow on the other side of his drive for £525,000 in 2017. 

In June 2019, planning permission was given for signs at The Lancaster Lock, the pub he built.