Work to restore and refurbish the Grade-II listed White Horse pub in Tilbrook has been completed, the landlords have announced.
The premises is owned and run by brewer Charles Wells and co-owners Nick Bonner and Joe Buckley, with the design and refurbishment work carried out by Jones AD.
The designs said they worked with Tilbrook Parish Council and village residents to find a solution to bring the pub back into operation, while “retaining and restoring its historic fabric and character”.
In addition to refurbishment of the pub’s interior, the project included a new oak-framed and glazed extension to replace a dilapidated conservatory.
Abi Perry-Jones, creative director of Jones AD, said: “We worked closely with the local planning department to ensure that the design and materials used were sympathetic to the history and character of the building.
“The existing part of the pub is really characterful and cosy with very low ceilings in places, while in contrast the new oak framed extension has a great open ceiling structure and the glazing opens out onto the patio with amazing open countryside views.”
Artwork and interior accessories were chosen to reflect the locality, including a large scale archive map which shows the village of Tilbrook in the 1800s, and prints of nearby Kimbolton Castle where Catherine of Aragon was exiled and eventually died.
The White Horse is the fourth site for co-owners Mr Bonner and Mr Buckley, who also run three pubs in neighbouring Northamptonshire - The Red Lion (East Haddon), The Tollemache (Harrington) and The Red Lion (Yardley Hastings).
Mr Bonner said, “This project was a real team effort from the start. Joe and I loved all of the design ideas that Abi and her team came up with, and we were particularly pleased to use contractors, suppliers and craftsmen from the local area to help bring new life to a much-loved village pub.
“Our aim was always to create the kind of pub that we’d like to spend time in ourselves and we’re more than happy that’s what The White Horse has become.”
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