Community pub, the Wellington Arms in Ilfracombe is set to reopen its doors on Friday 3rd May, following a £125,000 investment from Craft Union. The pub will also be hosting a fun-filled launch party weekend to mark the occasion, between Saturday 4th May and Sunday 5th May.
As part of the refurbishment, the Wellington Arms has received a refreshing makeover throughout, with new internal and external decoration and a complete refresh of the function room. The function room is now a multi-use area, and the pub proudly sports four top of the range darts boards, a skittle alley and a large screen TV, perfect for catching the upcoming summer of sporting events, including the much-anticipated Euros. The fresh look function room is now also open to catering for events and functions – the perfect place to host any occasion.
The Wellington Arms is a well-loved Ilfracombe pub that has been a community staple for many years. Among its many popular attributes is its large outdoor terraced beer garden that now benefits from additional TV screens, so guests can enjoy all the sporting action whilst soaking up the sun, with refreshing drink in hand.
The Wellington Arms was originally two separate pubs and has since been combined into a larger singular venue. The building dates back to the 17th century and was listed as a Grade II listed property in 1990, still retaining its original character and charm.
Operator Kirsty Oldland has been a key figure at the Wellington Arms for almost a decade and is well established in the community for her tireless work supporting local charities through initiatives with the pub. Over the years, Kirsty has raised tens of thousands for various fantastic causes.
Kirsty commented of the reopening: “Myself and The Wellington Arms team are so excited to welcome back our locals. We hope everyone loves the fresh new look of our pub as much as we do! We are always bowled over by the support our community has for local businesses and great causes, and we are looking forward to hosting many more events and fundraisers at the pub in the coming months. We certainly have the perfect venue for it now!”
In keeping with the pub’s community first ethos, the Wellington Arms reopens with a fun-filled weekly events offering that includes favourites such as chess club and choir practice every Monday evening. Customers can also enjoy jukebox bingo, charity darts, quizzes, skittles, pool and live music every single week, amongst many other social events at the pub.
In honour of the pub’s reopening, the Wellington Arms will be hosting electric live band, Black Sands, from 10pm on its opening night. Their official launch party takes place the following day, Saturday 4th May in conjunction with beloved local, John’s 70th birthday celebrations. The joint celebration takes on a Star Wars theme and will see the pub decorated and hosting bar games for all to get involved with. Guests are encouraged to sport their favourite Star Wars themed attire, with a prize for best dressed and Hoolie, a band hailing from North Devon, will be in house to entertain guests with an evening of the best rock and indie tunes.
The reopening celebrations don’t stop there, the Wellington Arms will also be hosting a Hawaiian garden party on Sunday 5th May complete with a Hawaiian shirt competition to raise much needed funds for the local food bank.
For full details of the pub’s upcoming events schedule and any future charity initiatives, check out the Wellington Arms’ Facebook page.