Closing time: Landlady and preacher who had first pub at 22 bids fond farewell as popular Elland pub shuts

But on Saturday she bid a fond farewell to regulars at the Barge and Barrel, on Park Road in Elland, which has been shut by its owners.

Admiral Taverns said they did not believe the pub had “a long-term sustainable future”.

"What I've loved most about running the pub has been the people,” said Carolyn.

"I'm a committed Christian and a preacher on the Calderdale circuit. I wanted the pub to be a place where people come to have drink but also to feel safe and somewhere they could talk to somebody.

"Often those in spiritual need don't walk into churches but they do walk into pubs."

Carolyn ran her first pub at just 22 – the Fighting Cock in Bradford – but spent 26 years in nursing before getting behind a bar again.

Her first NHS post was in a hospital caring for people with learning difficulties. She thought it would be a temporary stopgap but she fell in love with the work.

She left the health service aged 50 as a matron and registered nurse, having spent much of her time helping improve care for people with mental health issues and special needs.

She went travelling to Abu Dhabi and New Zeland before meeting Marsha Jones - who runs The Ship in Brighouse – who convinced her to run The Barge and Barrel, starting in November 2019.

As a landlady, she has turned some people’s lives around and her regulars are very dad to see her go and the pub closing.

"I made a difference to people's lives while working in the NHS but I feel I've made a difference here as well,” she said.

"People have said us closing has been a bereavement. They've been in tears more than me. It's a family to us.

"We've had lots of people saying 'Where are we going to go now?'"

She added she will miss the people but not “the stress and the bills”.

"We've been through two lockdowns, a flood and a fire,” she said.

She, her elderly parents and sister have had to find new homes, as they were all living above pub.

Her mum, 81-year-old Helen, would make a cake every week for people to buy a slice of and, together with Carolyn’s 83-year-old dad Tony, used to help clean the pub.

Helen also taught tap dancing at Brighouse Central Methodist Church and Tony enjoyed fishing behind the pub. Both are now moving to Bridlington.

Carolyn says she will be looking for something new to do.

"It's an opportunity to do something different,” she said.

"We've loved it here and always felt a part of everything."

Admiral Taverns – which owns the Barge and Barrel – confirmed last month that the pub was closing and would go up for sale.

A spokesperson for the firm said: “We are strong believers in the importance of community pubs and our focus is always on helping our licensees to run sustainable pub businesses.

"After careful consideration however, we felt in this instance that The Barge and Barrel did not have a long-term sustainable future and therefore we’ve taken the decision to close the pub and put it up for sale."