Residents in a village near Bath are fighting to save the historic name of their local pub after it was changed to the "tacky" title of The Muddy Duck by a new owner.
A group of campaigners in Monkton Farleigh have started a petition to stop the Kings Arms being re-named.
The moniker was changed last week when its owner went into business with another pub, also called The Muddy Duck, in the village of Hethe in Oxfordshire.
More than 140 locals have already signed a petition about the change, with campaigners slamming the new name as "tacky" and "not linked to the village".
Andrew Tucker, 40, who has lived next door to the pub for 11 years, collected the signatures in Monkton Farleigh and nearby Pinckney Green.
He said: "We have nothing against them refurbishing the pub, but I feel it is a bit off not letting us know about the name change.
"It sounds tacky for a village pub and has no link to anything in the village."
Villagers first learned of the name change when the old sign was covered with pictures of a duck stating "there's a new bird coming to the village".
Locals are concerned that the Kings Arms – first mentioned in the Bath directory in 1858 – and its history will be lost when it is rebranded.
Matthew Midlane, vice-chairman of the parish council, said: "I deeply regret the decision made by the leaseholder of the Kings Arms to rename this ancient, historic pub, which is well known both locally and in the wider area.
"A pub should be at the heart of the community and it is a pity the leaseholders risk alienating those who have supported it over the years."
But Joe Holder, general manager of the pub, has refused to change the new name. He said: "We are not changing the name to aggravate or wind anyone up. We want to make a new start and move on from the past.
"There are concerns there is a lot of history in the Kings Arms but we are not erasing history. We are starting a new chapter."
The pub has been closed for four weeks and aims to reopen on Tuesday.
