Coach and Horses Pub Restored and Reopened in Hexham
The Coach and Horses, a vacant public house on Priestpopple, Hexham, has been beautifully restored and brought back into use as a popular bar and restaurant.
The ambition
The aim of this project was to bring the Coach and Horses pub back into use as part of efforts to revitalise the town centre. As a prominent building in Priestpopple, it was identified as one of several key buildings to target within the Hexham High Streets Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ).
A public house since the 18th century, the Coach and Horses was once an active and popular pub in the town. After lying vacant for a number of years, the building was deteriorating and had become an eyesore on the high street, contributing to the overall run-down appearance of the conservation area.
The building was of traditional stone and slate construction with a cement render painted white with mock Tudor timber batons painted black.
Who made it happen
The Hexham High Street Heritage Action Zone was a partnership scheme led by Northumberland County Council and supported by Historic England.
The council's team included two Senior Programme Officers (Conservation and Community Engagement), supported by the council's Programme Manager.
They approached Admiral Taverns and worked with them to facilitate this project. Admiral Taverns started in 2003 and now have 1,600 community pubs across the UK. Their licensee, who already runs The County Hotel in Hexham was keen to take on this project and build a business that complemented The County.
The main contractor was Swandene Construction, who were already commissioned to work for Admiral Taverns as part of a framework agreement.
These case study details were provided by Northumberland County Council.
The funding
The total cost of the works eligible for HSHAZ funding was £355,008, broken down as follows:
- Historic England HSHAZ grant: £147,621
- Northumberland County Council HSHAZ grant: £100,884
- Private sector investment: £106,503
Admiral Taverns also invested approximately £290,000 into additional works which were not eligible for HSHAZ funding.
The results
The Coach and Horses opened to the public in summer 2022 and is now a popular, well used bar and restaurant with hotel rooms. The Coach and Horses building is now owned and managed by a well-respected company with a long history and experience of running pubs for local communities. The biggest hurdle has been reached, which is to bring it back into use.
The building was previously 2 separate bars divided by a linear access to the coach house to the rear. The re-use and 'bringing into the interior' of this linear, previously unused space, served to link the 2 ground floor bar and restaurants together to create 1 integrated space. A previously unused outdoor space has been transformed into a beer garden, and the project saw 6 ensuite hotel bedrooms and improved WC facilities created.
The reopened pub has created new local employment opportunities, and the new hotel rooms will encourage overnight stays and associated spend in Hexham.
During the construction process, 2 hard hat tours provided on-site practical experience of building restoration projects to the public and Newcastle University students. These engaging tours attracted interest from the wider community early in the project delivery.
Lessons learnt
- Start early and stress the length of the process to grant applicants, whilst supporting them through it. Obtaining planning permission, issues with building control, sharing of financial information, and collating all the information required to complete a large grant application was very time consuming.
- Having a good Conservation Architect to support the scheme and to provide ideas and help grant applicants visualise designs was vital. This adds to programme delivery costs but secures quality and deliverability in the schemes.
- Investigate likely procurement processes and agree the approach early. Where you need to meet annual spend deadlines, make sure to start processes early in the financial year.
The future
Following the Coach and Horses' reopening, there was a significant increase in interest by neighbouring property owners in the HSHAZ grants scheme, such that the scheme was over-subscribed.
There is evidence of wider business confidence and increased investments in Hexham town centre, with a number of long term vacant premises attracting new businesses.
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