Hope remains that a village's last surviving boozer will open its doors again, despite hefty concrete blocks emerging in front of the closed pub's car park.
The Sole and Heel in Rackheath closed last summer after its landlady died and has remained empty ever since.
It was the village's last remaining pub following the closure of the Green Man in June.
As Rackheath sees a housing boom, the community is holding on to hope that the growing community will have a prime community asset at its heart once more.
The Sole and Heel is now on the market free of tie lease for a proposed term of 20 years for £37,500 per annum, with applicants needing to demonstrate a minimum capital of £45,000.
A property manager for Criterion Asset Management, which works for the Wellington Pub Company, explained that the boozer at the heart of the village is set to go on the market in the coming days.
He said the concrete blocks have been put in to secure the site and deter anti-social behaviour and crime from occurring on the premises.
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"The trade area is okay and it should be possible to get it open quite quickly for some sort of business," the spokesman said.
"Since the death of the tenant last summer, we've had a lot of interest in the Sole and Heel.
"But this could be nosy locals, we don't know if some of this interest is realistic.
"The market is quiet, especially in January and February - they're traditionally quiet months for the business anyway.
"We'd like to think that when the sun starts shining people will have a bit more optimism to take on a new business."
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Fran Whymark, Broadland district councillor and parish councillor for Rackheath, who has lived in the village for the best part of two decades, hopes someone will seize the opportunity to reopen the well-loved local.
"If someone can get it open again, I know a lot of local people will be over the moon," he said.
"It's the heart of the community and hopefully new people moving in can meet up there - with old friends and new."
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