Graffiti depicts pub history as restoration starts

Graffiti artists have used hoardings to tell the story of a historical pub that is undergoing a £2m restoration.

The Iron Duke in Great Yarmouth closed in 2008 and was threatened with demolition.

Local people painted a mural on hoarding at the site, which will eventually be reopened by American diner chain Zaks.

Darren Barker, executive manager of Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust which is overseeing the construction, said: "It's nice to have that visual reference while the work's going on."

Ruben Cruz, of Reprezent Project, left, with Darren Barker of the Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust, and artist Mark Tanti, who created the design

Local brewery Lacons started building the Art Deco structure in 1938, but work stopped because of World War Two.

However the Ministry of Defence requested the bar be opened to serve troops - with building work not completed until after the war.

Mr Barker said restoring the Iron Duke was the organisation's main project and was really important.

The work is being funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England, for a faithful restoration and re-use as a pub and restaurant.

Ruben Cruz, founder of Reprezent Project, said many members of the community helped paint the mural, which had been sketched out by artist Mark Tanti, who's tag is Demograffix.

Mr Cruz added: "The mural is about the five elements of the Iron Duke.

"There was a consultation with the community during the funding bid when we put the case study together for the Heritage Lottery Fund.

People told us about the battleship Iron Duke; that they started building it before the war and had to stop and then it was finished after the war and that's why they chose the name.

"There's also the postcards from the 80s and 90s when the pub was still popular, and there's the herring, celebrating the history of the town, and the falcon, the logo of Lacons, the brewery that built it."

The preservation trust wants to open The Iron Duke next year