Eastwood The Bellhouse pub re-opened after £400,000 revamp

The Bellhouse pub, in Eastwood, re-opened this week after the near month-long closure which saw the 16th century building undergo a complete facelift.

New flooring has been laid, fresh beer pipes have been installed and almost every inch of the Rayleigh Road pub has been given some ‘sparkle’ as part of the major refurbishment.

The interior has been modernised while retaining period features (Image: George Pizani)

Despite the shiny new renovations, deputy manager Zoe Ashby believes that the pub has managed to retain it’s period charm.

“We have added a bit of sparkle to the pub, and upgraded a lot of the systems, but I think we’ve managed to keep the character of the building,” she said.

“With the exposed beams and brickwork it’s very much still got that cosy, country pub vibe.”  

Deputy manager, Zoe, has worked her way up from glass collector (Image: George Pizani)

Zoe has been a familiar face to regulars for 12 years, having worked at the Bellhouse since she was just 15, and says she has received unanimously positive responses to the revamp.

She added: “We opened on Wednesday at 5pm and we had almost all of our regulars come down.

“Everyone’s feedback has been very positive which is obviously fantastic for us to hear.” 

The bar is an eye-catching feature now (Image: George Pizani)

Among those regulars were Eastwood residents, Byron Watch and Nigel Barton. The long-time friends have been drinking at The Bellhouse for years, with Byron visiting the pub five days a week for the past ten years. 

Regulars, Byron and Nigel, are delighted with the new look (Image: George Pizani)

The 55-year-old said: “The staff are all really nice, and always lively, bubbly and up for a joke. They really make you feel welcome and well looked after.

“We’ve got friends who come all the way down from London because they just don’t have country pubs like this up there.” 

Barman, Connor, hopes the new piping will result in perfectly poured pints (Image: George Pizani)

The Bellhouse is keen to capitalise on its recent revamp with new menu items and events.

Bosses are preparing to launch a range of sharing platters including the option of a full tomahawk steak or entire chicken.

Open five days a week, the Shepherd Neame pub will also soon undergo a full exterior revamp.