A special event was held this week to celebrate the official re-opening of the Coach and Horses Public House in Hexham following a major refurbishment. 
 

The event, organised by Admiral Taverns brought together key partners who were involved in the scheme to sympathetically restore the historic public house on Priestpopple, in the town’s Conservation Area. 
 

The Coach and Horses was awarded approximately £240,000 by Northumberland County Council and Historic England through the Hexham High Streets Heritage Action Zone scheme (HSHAZ). 
 

The aim of the 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. 
 

Present at the event were representatives from Historic England, Northumberland County Council, the HSHAZ Steering Group and local MP Guy Opperman.  
 

Mike Collins from Historic England said: “The Coach and Horses is a landmark building at the east end of Priestpopple, one of Hexham’s most historic streets.  Sadly, this historic pub was empty and unused for several years, so we’re excited that we’ve been able to work with Admiral Taverns and Northumberland County Council to breathe new life into it.  
 

 “The reopening of this historic building through the High Street Heritage Action Zone programme is a great example of public and private sector working positively together, and the new energy that this vibrant project has brought to Hexham can only be good news for the town.” 
 

Admiral Taverns, the UK’s leading community pub group, and licensee, Fiona Beck, also invested a combined £460,000 into the restoration of the Coach and Horses making this the largest investment across its estate of around 1,600 pubs. 
 

Admiral Taverns’ Chief Executive Chris Jowsey was also at the event. He said: “It is without question that pubs are the cornerstone of communities across the UK. At Admiral we take great pride in running sustainable pubs and make it our priority to invest where we can across our estate of almost 1,600 pubs to ensure they can thrive.  
 

“We are absolutely delighted to have worked alongside Northumberland County Council and Historic England to support Fiona in bringing her remarkable vision to life with our biggest ever investment to date. There's no doubt in my mind that she's the best person for this role and that under her leadership and guidance this fantastic local pub has a long-term, successful future within the Hexham community. I, and the entire team at Admiral Taverns, wish her the very best of luck and look forward to seeing what's to come for The Coach & Horses." 
 
The funding has been used to restore and upgrade the front of the Inn to make it a more attractive building within the Conservation Area. Work included the removal of the fake Tudor batons and the rendering of this frontage with new signage, lighting and doorway. 
 

Work has also taken place to bring the building back into use as a family friendly dining pub by linking the two sides of the building together to form a more attractive and useable space. 
 

The first floor has been refurbished to create high quality letting bedrooms and the beer garden refurbished to create an attractive outdoor dining area - with the work reflecting the historic character of the property. 
 

Northumberland County Councillor, Richard Wearmouth who sits on the Hexham HSHAZ steering group said:  

“The Coach and Horses dates back to the early 1800s and has been a key building in the town over the generations. 

“This scheme has carefully restored the Inn, taking care to preserve its historic features while appreciating its need to be a modern and thriving business.  There were many people involved – architects, builders, funders and historic experts. This event was held to acknowledge and say thank you for their contribution to the success of this scheme which has secured the future of the Inn within the heart of the town for many years to come.” 
 

Guy Opperman MP said: “I was delighted to attend the reopening of the Coach and Horses. Thank you to all the partners who came together to make this project happen.

"The £2 million Hexham High Street Heritage Action Zone will help improve Hexham’s high street.”

Hexham High Streets Heritage Action Zone is part of a £95 million government-funded programme led by Historic England. It’s designed to secure lasting improvements and rejuvenate historic high streets.