Black Swan, Helmsley: Historic pub to bring Post Office back to Yorkshire market town

The Black Swan in Helmsley will be the base for the ‘temporary solution’ after the town’s Post Office closed in August 2022. The Post Office counter will be open 10am and 1pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and from 09:30 to 12:30 on Thursdays from this Tuesday (Aug 22).

A mobile Post Office stopped visiting in town in November, and 1,300 people signed a petition to bring the service back.

A statement from The Inn Collection Group, which runs The Black Swan, said: “Members of the team at Black Swan and operations manager Nicola Fortune worked quickly with both Post Office staff and local councillor George Jabbour to establish the service as soon as has been possible.

Speaking after the arrival of the new Post Office counter and the successful completion of final operational tests, Mark Wright, general manager at Black Swan said: “We’re delighted that we have been able to provide a home for a service so vital to so many members of our community and look forward to its first day back next week.

“We know how important the Post Office is to businesses and individuals in and around Helmsley and while Black Swan is just a temporary host whilst a new permanent option is secured, we know what having the service back this will mean in the town.

"Inns have a long tradition of being at the very heart of the community and I am delighted that we are taking that beyond being a place from which to eat, drink, sleep and explore.

“The inn will be open as usual during the Post Office’s hours of operation so anyone coming to use its services are more than welcome to sample what we offer as an inn too.”

Coun Jabbour said: “Immediately after funds were secured for a temporary solution in Helmsley, members of the Post Office and the Black Swan Hotel teams worked tirelessly to make sure that this new service is available to our community as soon as possible.

"The Post Office counter has now been delivered to its new home at the Black Swan Hotel and is already set up to ensure that the first transactions will be processed smoothly on the opening day.

"I am keeping my fingers crossed for next Tuesday, but in the meantime, I would like to say a huge thank you on behalf of our community to everyone at The Inn Collection Group & The Black Swan and the Post Office for making this a reality."

Ian Murphy, Post Office network provision lead for North of England, said: “We are delighted to be restoring a Post Office to Helmsley as we know how important a Post Office is to a community and how sorely missed this branch has been."

Local MP Kevin Hollinrake added: “Coun Jabbour and I are very grateful to the Black Swan for the vital service they are providing to the community in ensuring Post Office services remain in the town. I look forward to visiting the Swan next week to see first hand how the site will function for residents. Long term, we are still seeking a permanent replacement.”

Purchased by The Inn Collection Group in January 2020, The Black Swan dates back to the 15th century with an Elizabethan building on one end, a Tudor one to the other and a Georgian house in the middle, making The Black Swan a pub with an unusual character.