Listed Wiltshire Pub Wins Right To Keep Its Painted St George’s Flag

A historic pub in rural Wiltshire has secured planning permission to retain a painted St George’s cross on its exterior wall, after local councillors overruled their own officers and backed the landlord in a five-to-three vote.

The Moonrakers Inn, a 17th-century Grade II listed building in the market town of Pewsey, has displayed the red-and-white English flag since 2016, when landlord Jerry Kunkler had it painted on as a mark of support for England’s sporting teams.

The decision to keep it has now been formally ratified by Wiltshire Council’s Eastern Area Planning Committee, following months of scrutiny triggered by a complaint from a member of the public.

Council officers launched a formal investigation in November of last year after a local resident raised concerns about the appearance of the listed building, reportedly suggesting the flag gave the pub an unwanted political connotation.
Planning officers subsequently recommended that the committee refuse consent, arguing the painted flag was incompatible with the building’s listed status.

The committee, however, took a different view. With five councillors voting in favour, three against and one abstention, permission was granted for the flag to remain.

During the committee session, Mike Fowler spoke on behalf of the licensee. He described the Moonrakers as an English sports-focused pub that does not serve food, and argued that the cross of St George painted on its exterior had become central to the establishment’s character and identity.

Councillor Paul Oatway dismissed the political concerns raised in the original complaint as unfounded, pointing out that only a small number of objections had come from residents in a town of nearly 4,000 people.

Six members of the public had formally voiced their support for the flag during the planning process, four had objected, and two had offered mixed views.

Councillor Stuart Wheeler went further, describing the pub and its landlord as genuinely celebrated locally — and noting that the Moonrakers had even inspired wider cultural interest.

The pub, known affectionately in the area as “the Moonies”, is widely understood to have been among the inspirations for the acclaimed stage play Jerusalem, written by Jez Butterworth, which starred Mark Rylance in its celebrated run.

Mr Wheeler told the committee that visitors travel from across the country to the Pewsey pub, drawn by its legendary status. “This pub is famous,” he said. “This pub enhances the environment, it does no harm.”