Central Hotel Bar Refurbishment | Gateshead | Completed

[toonlad]

Originally Posted by kieron79

lets hope it gets sympathetically restored!

I hope there are modern touches, I would like to see a nice refurb of the original exterior signage (I can't believe it has survived all this time!) but perhaps with some backlit channel lighting like this... but not in blue of course!

[johnnypd]

http://www.gateshead.gov.uk/Council%...esheadPub.aspx

Major Grant for Iconic Gateshead Pub
Date: 14/10/2009
CentralPub003

Gateshead Council has agreed a make a grant of over £400,000 to help to transform one of the town’s most iconic pubs.

The Central in Hill Street, close to The Hilton Hotel, has long been regarded as one of the town’s unique architectural gems, but its deteriorating condition has been a concern for a number of years.

Now, the Grade 2 listed building at the heart of the Bridges Conservation Area has been bought by local pub chain The Head of Steam and major plans for its restoration have been drawn up.

To aid the restoration, Gateshead Council has agreed to make a grant of £142,486 from its Town Heritage Initiative to cover part of the costs of the restoration of this significant local building, and has negotiated a further grant of £269,529 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Substantial Renovation

The new owners are intending to carry out substantial restoration both inside and out, restoring many of the pub’s original Victorian features, as well as restoring the function rooms on the first and second floor rooms from a warren of bedrooms.

Councillor Mick Henry, Leader of Gateshead Council and Chair of the Town Centre Partnership, says: “This is a really exciting development.

“The Central is one of the largest and most striking buildings in Gateshead’s historic core, yet its condition has been a cause of serious concern. Now at last we have the chance of helping this unique building to become one of the highlights of Gateshead’s revitalised Town Centre, aided by a successful local company with a track record of innovative and sensitive restoration.

“This is great news for Gateshead. We have great aspirations for this area of our Town Centre – working with The Head of Steam to restore this landmark building and help make the Central Bar a popular destination once more will give a significant boost to our ambitions.”

Tony Brookes from The Head of Steam says: “The Central is a magnificent pub, which really needs protection and up-grading to a very good external condition.”

“Our plan is to create nothing less than one of the best Victorian heritage pubs in Britain. Our company has been in business for almost thirty years and has a distinguished history of taking over failed businesses and turning them around to make successful and popular businesses.
Iconic Presence

“The Central is a really important building. It will regain its stunning iconic presence when the external grant works are implemented.

“Our aim is that any changes to the building fabric will be of the highest design quality, worthy of national accreditation. We will also be very proud to develop the business to make it a major Gateshead attraction.”

Gateshead Council has already invested substantial improvements in an area of the town centre which contains many important older buildings and streetscapes.

Designed in1854 by local architect M Thompson, The Central occupies a flattened triangular island site between the High Level Bridge and the Tyne Bridge. Built for Alderman Potts, wine merchant, as business premises, it eventually became a hotel around 1890.

Among the major internal works proposed are:

* Restoration of the original etched glass and mahogany window panels top the Buffet Bar and Snug – based on a single glass panel found in the cellar,
* Renovating the main bar room and bar servery, revealing its original Victorian ceiling,
* Creating a roof garden giving views of Gateshead’s hidden railway heritage across the old station platforms to the newly restored Old Town Hall.

An application for planning permission is currently being prepared and is likely to be considered early in the New Year. John Niven Architects of West Auckland will be overseeing the restoration and Gateshead-based contractors Tony Smith (Construction) have already been appointed to carry out the work.

The roof garden sounds like it could be quite special...

[AngerOfTheNorth]

Not sure about that lighting Toonlad, not what I'd go for although maybe without the blue light it'd look different. Either way, I would have thought that they would do a cracking job on this place, Head of Steam have been pretty sympathetic with their other bars so I can't think of many better people to take on one of my favourite buildings that side of the river.

And speaking of the Cluny, if it was a bit more central it would be perfect for that sub-forum meet-up pint...

[NewcastleStu]

It sounds like they're going to do a good job on this, can't wait until it opens.

[TownPlanningNE]

I noticed today that the building is now surrounded by scaffolding and they have been doing work on the inside, so hopefully this will move along quite quickly now!

[Chatton11]

Saw this was on the local bbc news this morning. Didn't tell us anything we didn't know though

[johnnypd]

so it looks like a proposal for flats and a cafe/bar on the ground floor is being proposed opposite this, on the site that previously held the Half Moon Inn.

[bucca]

Jonny pd, where did you find this info about the new development, and the pls pls?

[johnnypd]

Originally Posted by bucca

Jonny pd, where did you find this info about the new development, and the pls pls?

planning application lodged at gateshead council. also saw a pic of it on an architect or developer's website but can't remember which.

[bucca]

Sorry, how exactly do you find this application, it seems to require an application reference to search for it.
Thanks in advance.

[johnnypd]

Application Reference - DC/09/01417/FUL

http://planning.gateshead.gov.uk/pub...rchtype=WEEKLY

[Newcastle Historian]

Originally Posted by WilfBurnsFan

I went to the Central in Gateshead last night. The building is still shrouded in scaffolding but it's open for trade. A decent selection of four real ales and one real cider (and plenty of bottles) as you'd expect from the Head of Steam chain - the bar itself had been repainted but was still pretty basic - wood floor, simple benches and tables - just what one needs. Upstaits hadn't been touched yet: an odd mix of huge and elaborate wooden doorcases and dioors, and all the walls and ceilings dfone out in artex. Very 70s! The upstairs is going to be turned inot (I think) performance space/function room, and there will be an outdoor beer garden/terrace to one side. All very promising, and a nice (if a bit brass monkeys) walk to and from across the High Level.

So Wilf, is it the 'new owners' (ie, Head of Steam) running the place now, while it is still only partially refurbed? If so, do you think the finished product will be good and do the place justice?

Or, is it the previous tenants, or whatever, until the re-furb is done?

Also, the scaffolding is still outside you say, is any of the outside done?

SORRY . . lots of questions, when I'm sure you just went there for a quiet drink!!!

[WilfBurnsFan]

It's HoS running the show: you could tell by the beer selection, and my companion recognised the manager from the Neville Street Head of Steam. Don't know how much of the exterior is done yet - it was dark when we got there. I think they'll do a good job. The interior wasn't exactly 'trad' (dark red paint floor to ceiling, rather than the sort of polished mahogany and brass that unimaginative pub developers go for when they want to create 'atmosphere'); but also far from being 'travesty'.

[Deebex]

The guy that's running it used to be the bar manager at The Cluny. One of the other bar staff used to work in The Ship (in the Ouseburn) before it was 'improved'. The place as a bit of an 'Ouseburn' feel about it tbh.

The HoS should have a good go at improving the pub as they are a pretty responsible company architecturally. There's also lots of heritage grant money being injected into the refurbishment, so it's being closely managed by heritage experts.

[tcollins]

I didn't realise until the second time I went in, but there is a second bar open at the front of the building too, nearest the Tyne Bridge. It's more the traditional large wooden bar and high ceiling of an old pub, but it looks more like the originals than the cheap refurb jobs referred to by WBF. I think that the other room, the red one, is likely to be improved at a future date, and is hopefully just like that for now so that they can have it open during the works. I heard that they were removing false ceilings and restoring the originals, so hopefully that room will be included too.

Whilst it's still clearly a work in progress, it has a friendly feel to the place and nice range of beers. I always think it's good when the pool table is 20p a go, and strangers assume it's winner stays on rather than demanding the whole table - always seems to be a good indication of a friendly pub to me!

[Newcastle Historian]

Originally Posted by tcollins

I didn't realise until the second time I went in, but there is a second bar open at the front of the building too, nearest the Tyne Bridge. It's more the traditional large wooden bar and high ceiling of an old pub, but it looks more like the originals than the cheap refurb jobs referred to by WBF. I think that the other room, the red one, is likely to be improved at a future date, and is hopefully just like that for now so that they can have it open during the works. I heard that they were removing false ceilings and restoring the originals, so hopefully that room will be included too.

Whilst it's still clearly a work in progress, it has a friendly feel to the place and nice range of beers. I always think it's good when the pool table is 20p a go, and strangers assume it's winner stays on rather than demanding the whole table - always seems to be a good indication of a friendly pub to me!

Was it still like this?

Central Hotel Bar, photographed in 1997 . .

[tcollins]

Yup, that's the one.

[Chatton11]

Originally Posted by tcollins

I didn't realise until the second time I went in, but there is a second bar open at the front of the building too, nearest the Tyne Bridge. It's more the traditional large wooden bar and high ceiling of an old pub, but it looks more like the originals than the cheap refurb jobs referred to by WBF. I think that the other room, the red one, is likely to be improved at a future date, and is hopefully just like that for now so that they can have it open during the works. I heard that they were removing false ceilings and restoring the originals, so hopefully that room will be included too.

Whilst it's still clearly a work in progress, it has a friendly feel to the place and nice range of beers. I always think it's good when the pool table is 20p a go, and strangers assume it's winner stays on rather than demanding the whole table - always seems to be a good indication of a friendly pub to me!

I think it depends on the pub. I sometimes find this distinctly less than friendly. If I'm paying to play a game of pool, I'd rather play my mate, not the local hustler. I know a lot of pubs insist that winner stays on isn't allo0wed. It's a bit different when it's 20p maybe.

[NewcastleStu]

Originally Posted by Chatton11

I think it depends on the pub. I sometimes find this distinctly less than friendly. If I'm paying to play a game of pool, I'd rather play my mate, not the local hustler. I know a lot of pubs insist that winner stays on isn't allo0wed. It's a bit different when it's 20p maybe.

Agreed, I don't want to play against some random! They always want to start betting too, "£10 a man?", always gets a "F*** off" from me.

[kieron79]

Originally Posted by NewcastleStu

Agreed, I don't want to play against some random! They always want to start betting too, "£10 a man?", always gets a "F*** off" from me.

Agreed