A historic Northumberland pub has reopened following its parent company's largest ever investment to date.
The Coach and Horses, a traditional 18th century coaching inn on Priestpopple in Hexham, has seen a £700,000 investment. £460,000 came from Admiral Taverns and licensee Fiona Beck, while Northumberland County Council and Historic England awarded the remaining £240,000 through the Hexham High Streets Heritage Action Zone scheme (HSHAZ).
Ms Beck has 30-years of experience in the hospitality industry and took on the County Hotel in Hexham around six and a half years ago. After creating a "destination" pub for locals and tourists to enjoy, she is keen to create somewhere that compliments the County Hotel and hopes to foster a friendly atmosphere where everyone feels welcome.
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Originally set across two buildings, both areas at the Coach and Horses have now been connected to create a bar and lounge. Beck has attempted to revitalise the look and feel of the pub to make it more modern and contemporary.
The bar is said to have a lively atmosphere and has Sky Sports and a dartboard, while the lounge area is a quieter "more relaxing space." The pub also has a new menu including a mixture of traditional pub dishes and sharing plates, and there is also a "carefully curated" drinks menu.
The renovation includes six newly decorated bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms above the bar and lounge and new outdoor areas which its owners hope will draw people in for the rest of the summer. Ms Beck, Licensee at The Coach and Horses, said: "I have loved every minute of running The County Hotel with Admiral Taverns so when the opportunity to take over The Coach and Horses came up, I couldn’t refuse it!
"It had always been my dream to become my own boss and run my own pub so the fact I now run two incredible Hexham pubs is fantastic. I am so excited to re-establish its presence within the area and showcase its refreshed look to new and existing customers."
The aim of the Hexham High Streets Heritage Action Zone scheme is to revitalise the town's historic centre making it a more attractive, engaging and vibrant place for people to live, work, invest and visit. Last year, the scheme was used to fund the first ever Animating Hexham event, which lit up the town's shopfronts and landmarks with colourful projections.
Jules Brown from Historic England said: "Grants are available to help renovate and restore some key historic buildings, which help to give Hexham such a strong sense of place and character. It’s great to see the funding being used to bring buildings like The Coach and Horses back to life, so they can be used and enjoyed by local people and visitors alike."
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