Filmed in September 2025, the four-part series follows comedian and radio presenter Jon Richardson as he works alongside local residents to bring the historic Plough at Fadmoor, which has been closed since 2011, back to life in time for opening in April this year.
While Richardson once again demonstrated a lack of DIY prowess, he was quick to get stuck in by sweeping up, assisting with rendering and helping to drum up support for the community-funded project.
The episode opens with an assessment of the exterior works required, including sandblasting layers of old paint from the stonework.
With a £60,000 shortfall in the renovation budget, the team had hoped to preserve and lime wash the original stone to avoid the cost of full rendering. However, extensive water damage and damp soon forced a rethink.
Building manager Phil, introduced in the first episode, described the pub as a “patchwork quilt”.
“It would be cheaper and easier to build a complete brand-new pub, but it wouldn’t be the same, it wouldn’t have the character…there’s a lot of memories in there", he said.
The toilet block demolished in episode one has now been fully removed, though the team is awaiting planning permission before work can begin on a replacement.
Market research
“I was excited…but now I think I may have been ahead of myself”, Richardson tells the camera, later adding: “Everyone is working so hard on the pub, but I am worried we have bitten off more than we can chew.”
Keen to refine his vision, Richardson visits three nearby pubs to gather ideas on design, bar layout and food.
Discussions range from décor trends to potential menu options, including the suggestion of a vegan Ploughman’s as a signature dish.
The comic later shares his long-term ambition for the venue, describing it as a “cosy little room full of people, laughing, with sandwiches on the table” for generations to come.
“I am even more excited now as I have seen finished versions”, he said.
“Checking out the local competition in person has really sharpened my ideas about the look and feel of our pub. It’s got the wheels turning on what our final menu might be.”
As part of his market research, Richardson is also shown joining a local cycling club for a ride to understand what locals want from the Plough.
Throughout the programme, community support remains central to the project. After further structural issues emerge, including the need to replace a rotten lintel, sheep farmer Jon launches a fundraising drive at a local auction.
He donates the proceeds from the sale of one sheep, which is first sold to the auctioneer for £400 before he resells it for £300. In total, around £1,000 is raised – covering the unexpected cost of the new lintel.
Very invested
Richardson praised the community’s efforts, saying: “When the sheep went up and raised a lot more than we thought and we felt that support...that’s lovely.”
“[John] works so hard for so little profit and is still giving up a sheep to raise money for the pub, I think that is really cool”, he added.
Later on in the episode, standing inside the still-derelict building, Richardson reflects on how much is still left to do at the Plough: “I’m glad I’m not tackling this on my own.
“The cost is the issue...it is such a big job, it’s huge, there’s no floor, there’s no walls.
“This moment now, I want to remember when I am in here and there’s a table and a fire and new windows and think ‘I was in here when you could see outside, I pulled that and the whole building could have fallen down’, so I do feel very invested, I feel very lucky.”
Though the episode ends on another setback, with the team concluding they cannot simply repair and repaint the frontage despite completing sandblasting and crack repairs.
“With the budget already stretched, it’s not clear how we move forward from here”, the comic tells viewers before chairman Peter confirms further research is required before progressing with the frontage works.
The next episode of A Yorkshire Pub with Jon Richardson airs on More 4 at 9pm on Wednesday 18 February. See The Morning Advertiser’s recap of episode one here.
