Iconic Penkridge pub shuts for £150,000 transformation
An iconic Penkridge pub – said to date back to Tudor times and rumoured to have been visited by Queen Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots – has closed its doors this week for a £150,000 revamp.
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The overhaul of The White Hart on Stone Cross is being undertaken by Heineken-owned Star Pubs and Midlands-based Banx Pub Company, who operate the landmark pub. The investment will upgrade The White Hart into a top quality local that caters for all with a beautiful new interior and revamped garden space.
The White Hart will reopen by Good Friday, 18 April.
The exterior works will carefully restore the distinctive Grade II listed black and white building and add new signage and lighting. An alfresco area – complete with flower baskets, large parasols and more than 20 seats – will be created in The White Hart’s sheltered courtyard and the hidden rear garden will also become a feature, with new furniture and an outside screen showing sports.
A smart new internal décor in the style of a quintessential city pub will complement The White Hart’s character, whilst making it more contemporary and welcoming. The design will incorporate new timber floors, decorative wall tiles and brass hand and foot rails on the bar, along with deep button-backed leather-covered seating. The layout will enable The White Hart to simultaneously meet the needs of different groups of customers. The pub will have a new snug seating 20 people, a comfortable lounge and a spacious bar set up for sports enthusiasts with darts boards and new screens showing Sky and TNT Sports. Other improvements include redecorating the toilets and the installation of a state-of-the-art dispense system to ensure consistently perfect pints.
The Banx Pub Company took over the running of The White Hart in February 2024 when it was struggling following four years without a long-term operator. They swiftly appointed Penkridge born-and-bred Marie Simmonds – a long-term customer who was working behind the bar – as the new licensee. Since taking the helm, the team have gone all out to re-establish The White Hart as a popular hub of Penkridge, winning back regulars who had left. They are now planning a host of new activities to mark the refurbishment and bring people together, ranging from a quiz and cocktail-making nights to outdoor events and charity fundraisers.
Says Banx Pub Company general manager Jamie Newbold: “We’re passionate about keeping the tradition of the great British pub alive by reviving unloved locals. We’ve been overwhelmed by the support we’ve had from the community in getting The White Hart back on track. We’re pleased to be giving it the TLC it needs to thrive for many years to come.”
Adds Marie: “The White Hart has always been an important part of Penkridge, used by multiple generations of some local families and regulars who’ve been coming in for thirty or forty years. We don’t serve food; it’s a proper local known for its friendless and it’s all down to the customers. They’re like one big family – everyone talks to each other and welcomes newcomers. Like many people I’d felt concerned to see The White Hart lose its way. I wanted to do anything I could to help secure its future – even if that meant becoming the licensee! Everyone is really excited by the plans for the pub. It’s going to look stunning. We can’t wait to open the doors again and show people their new-look local.”
