A Kenilworth pub has turned half its car park into a petanque pitch to allow a local club to keep playing after being moved off their usual spot.

The 'Nomades' first approached landlord Simon Moore at The Gauntlet last year, looking for somewhere to relocate during the demolition of Castle Farm Recreation Centre.

Now that work on the sports centre is underway, the team has put gravel down across half of the parking spaces at the Caesar Road pub to make a new pitch.

Customers can still use the surface to park and when the pitch is in use the Nomades have some removable wooden buffers to mark the boundaries.

And with the space now being used six or seven times a week, Simon said it was the least he could do.

"They are really nice people to have around at the pub," he said.

"They're quite happy there and in all fairness they are also enjoying the fact that in this weather they can come and get a drink from the pub too. 

"They are absolutely good as gold and I am so happy to have them.

"And at the end of the day that car park isn't really used by punters during the daytime."

Warwick District Council announced last month that contracts had been signed for the redevelopment at Castle Farm - six months after the centre closed for demolition.

Half of the car park has been dedicated to the pitch (Image supplied)

But with local groups such as the Nomades having to find themselves a new playing area, Simon said it was a shame that it was being left to individuals.

"People like the fact that the space is being used. Obviously the development at Castle Farm is a bone of contention with the locals - so people are glad that these displaced groups are being given somewhere to go," he added.

"But the whole development in my opinion could have been handled better. 

"For the groups to have to sort themselves out rather than being offered solutions is a bit of a shame, so I am just glad that I can help."

And with the petanque players now thinking about hosting tournaments at their new pitch, and having regular lunches put on at The Gauntlet, Simon said pubs and local businesses needed to be doing more community outreach in the post-pandemic world.

"People's habits have changed and whatever ministers will tell you, pub life is nowhere near back to how it used to be pre 2020," he explained.

"I actually think it never will be because people's habits have changed. 

"I think the more community-led businesses there are, those are the ones that are going to survive. 

"You can't now just open a pub and expect people to come, you have to keep doing stuff for other people."