£3.5m revival of town's oldest pub nears completion

The Old Black Lion had been due to open earlier this year

A £3.5m restoration of a town's oldest pub is close to completion, conservationists have confirmed.

The Grade II listed Old Black Lion on Marefair in Northampton town centre dates back to the 16th Century but has not welcomed patrons since 2018.

West Northamptonshire Council and the Churches Conservation Trust (CCT) started work on its revival in early 2023, with the trust having already moved its national office into the building over the summer.

Its full opening had been anticipated at the start of the year, but the Reform UK-controlled council and trust said the "complex" project had been delayed.

In a joint statement, they said: "Timelines are always subject to change. Indicative dates are used to guide planning, but they naturally fluctuate as work progresses.

"We'll continue to keep our communities informed as things develop, and we're looking forward to celebrating the wider opening with the community in due course."

It added the project was in its "final phases".

About £2m of funding for the scheme has come from the National Heritage Lottery Fund, with money also granted by HM Treasury's Towns Fund, West Northamptonshire Council, the Architectural Heritage Fund and West Northamptonshire Development Corporation.

The 12th-Century St Peter's Church is next to the pub

Upon its reopening, the pub will be run by Phipps Northampton Brewery Company.

The pub is next door to St Peter's Church, which stopped hosting regular worship in 1995 and is looked after by the CCT, which looks after redundant places of worship.

The original pub burnt down in the great Northampton fire of 1675 but was restored as the Old Black Lion in 1720.