We’ve been keeping this quiet for some time now but we can finally announce that The Famous Firkin Pub is going to receive a huge and much needed makeover. It’s time to bring this once much loved building back to life for the Stonehouse community.
Financial barriers have been overcome, meetings have been completed – contracts signed, and the refurbishment work will hopefully begin sometime this year. With all things moving forward as planned, we expect to officially reopen the premises in March 2023.
Stonehouse Community
It’s so important for us as a Social Enterprise to remain focused on the Stonehouse community. We want the pub to welcome all sections of the community back through its doors and offer affordable but good quality healthy food for everyone. Volunteers will be sought to run events and activities. The local community around the pub want the place to thrive once again, to become more than a place of congregation, to be a hub and a venue that is a catalyst for other community activities.
But that’s not all! A community share offer will be launched to help purchase the pub and create a real sense of local ownership. More details on this will be made available at a later date. But it’s very exciting news.
The Famous Firkin Pub: Gradual Decline
The pub has been in gradual decline over the last 10 years or so. Both in terms of the number of users and the physical condition of the building. The pub was an important part of the Stonehouse community. It brought people together and was a shared space for socialising. It contributed to the vitality of the area and can do so once again.
The Famous Firkin can play its part in raising the Stonehouse community once again. It will be an open and friendly establishment welcoming friends for coffee on the way back from the school run, residents of Ron King House for lunch and for everyone else in the area. It’ll be a space for the knitters, the sowers, the dart teams and karaoke lovers! And so much more.
Can you tell that we are very excited about this? We hope so. It’s going to be amazing.
Here at The Millfields Trust, we have established a relationship with the current owner and agreed a Heads of Terms to purchase the building. As part of our preparation work, a condition survey was commissioned. This report highlighted significant problems with the building, as well as other areas that will need further investigations. This will require a structural survey. We are well prepared for the challenges ahead. It was never going to be a straight forward project. But we are ready for the hard work ahead and we just know it’s going to be worth it.
Did you know…
Did you know The Famous Firkin is not the only Public House we own? Next door to our HQ Building is The Lord High Admiral. This is a lovely little pub that holds a range of fun music and comedy events throughout the year. And also serves amazing food and locally brewed beer! Check out their Facebook page for further details.