Historic tavern set to rise again after buyout by real ale lovers

A TRIO of real ale enthusiasts are raising a glass to Rotherham’s heritage after saving the town’s last surviving Westgate pub.

Brothers Mick and Kevin Warburton, co-directors of the town’s Chantry Brewery, and friend Paul Vernon, a founder of its CAMRA branch, have bought The Prince of Wales Feathers and set about transforming it into a beer-lovers’ haven.

The pub will take on the name of another former Westgate pub, the New York Tavern, which poured its last pint in 1970, when it open its doors.

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Mick said: “We’re all Rotherham people and keen to preserve the town’s heritage, but wanted a fresh start.

“When we started looking into the local area, there were many parallels between the original New York Tavern and the Feathers, and also felt that there was good link with the beers that we produce at the brewery.

“There’s no doubt in my mind, that if we hadn’t stepped in, then the pub would have closed. It had been shut for over 12 months before we bought the premises and we didn’t want it to have the same fate as so many of the other Westgate pubs.”

The pub, which has undergone an extensive refurbishment including a new, extended New York-style bar, will be the official brewery tap for the brothers’ Parkgate-based business.

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It will also serve five changing guest ales, about 40 bottled beers and locally-produced bar snacks.

The pub is the sole survivor of more than 12 Westgate inns after the closure of the Grade II listed Cutlers Arms earlier this year.

It was built in 1856, the same year as the original New York Tavern, which closed when it was bought and demolished by the Rotherham Corporation to make way for Centenary Way.

The trio now hope to trace past landlords from both pubs who may have old photos they can use to create a display in the bar. They can be contacted via www.facebook.com/NewYorkTavern.

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