Changing places: Investigating the cultural terrain of village pubs in south Northamptonshire

The village pub has traditionally held an important 'place' in British economy and society and as such is an interesting site for social and cultural analysis. At one level, it is a site with pronounced mythic qualities. Yet on another level, the place of the village pub is highly unstable and contested, with many reportedly facing closure. Adopting an avowedly 'production-centred' approach, this paper presents exploratory survey findings from two case study villages in south Northamptonshire. This includes an examination of each pub's input supply network, including links with brewers and other suppliers. The paper attempts to move beyond viewing the village pub simply as a declining rural service and focuses in particular on the ways in which pubs commodify 'local culture' as an economic resource. It concludes by introducing the concept of 'cultural terrain' and its application to the study of village pubs and rural services more generally.