A Characterful Town Centre Pub in the Heart of Newton Abbot

The Pub

The Locomotive Inn is a historic pub located in the centre of Newton Abbot, operating from a Grade II listed building dating back to the 17th century.

Inside, the pub is arranged across a single L‑shaped bar spanning two rooms, with original features including timber beams, open fireplaces and traditional wood panelling, creating a classic and welcoming feel.

The business is established as a drinks‑focused community pub, supported by cask ales, live sport and traditional pub games including pool and darts. A regular calendar of events, such as quiz nights and community activity, helps to create a consistent weekly rhythm. The Locomotive Inn is also known for being dog‑friendly and family‑friendly.

Location

The Locomotive Inn sits on East Street in Newton Abbot, a busy market town in South Devon.

Newton Abbot has a strong town centre presence and benefits from its railway heritage and proximity to the South Devon countryside and Torbay coastline. The pub is within easy reach of the town centre, local amenities and transport links, including the nearby railway station.

Ideal Publican

This opportunity will suit a hands‑on publican who appreciates traditional pubs and understands how to run a well‑established community local. First‑time publicans will also be considered, provided they can demonstrate strong business awareness and leadership ability.

Someone with a passion for cask ales, sport and pub games will do well here, alongside the ability to create a welcoming and consistent environment. There is also opportunity to build on the existing events calendar and introduce new ideas to keep the pub active and encourage repeat visits.

Accommodation

The pub includes private on‑site accommodation, comprising of three bedrooms, a kitchen and a lounge.

About the Agreement

At Punch, we support talented, ambitious entrepreneurs who want to run brilliant pubs at the heart of their communities. That’s why our agreements are designed to be flexible, supportive and built around your vision.

Our Free of Tie Tenancy gives you the freedom to run your own pub with confidence. A free of tie agreement of up to five years, it offers the flexibility to source your own drink products and suppliers while benefiting from flexible notice periods. We offer flexible deposit options and the freedom to shape your business in a way that works for you.

Why Choose Punch?

When you partner with Punch, you’ll have an entire support system behind you, including:

• A forward thinking pub company, recognised nationally with multiple industry awards including winners of the Publican Awards 2022 & 2024!
• Potential investment to unlock your pub’s full potential
• Industry leading training through our award winning Academy, complete with state of the art kitchens, bars and our immersive Progress with Punch training programme.
• Access to our powerful online platform, the Punch Buying Club, where you can order stock and find resources to help you run your pub successfully.
• Ongoing coaching from expert Operations Managers and specialist support teams.
• Innovative digital learning through THIRST, our gamified online training app, offering compliance training through to driving sales training.
• A commitment to “Doing Well, By Doing Good” by championing communities, wellbeing and sustainability at every step.

Curious about how this agreement could work for you?

You will find our Partnering with Punch guide in the ‘Relevant Downloads’ section below.

Chat to a recruitment advisor now about this pub business opportunity.