Restoration to historic Yarmouth pub to begin in new year

Repairs to the roof of the Iron Duke pub on Jellicoe Road are to start in January at a cost of around £160,000.

Following the initial repairs, the Grade II-listed building is set for major restoration works, which will see the site brought back to its former glory as a sustainable business.

The Iron Duke has been closed since 2008. (Image: Jordon Thomas Sendall)

The Art Deco-style building, which has been closed since 2008, was provisionally awarded £2m last week from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

A cash injection of £161,329 is immediately available to make essential structural repairs.

The restoration will be a combined effort between Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust (GYPT), which owns it, and Zaks, a chain of Norfolk restaurants.

GYPT's managing director Darren Barker said: "Our current priority is to ensure the roof of this remarkable building is fully repaired. Once that has happened, we can then start restoring the inside."

Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust's managing director said the inside of the Iron Duke will be restored once the roof is repaired. (Image: Jordon Thomas Sendall)

Roof repairs are expected to take place in early 2023. From there, GYPT and Zaks will research many of the Iron Duke's historical features which are to be included in the final restorations.

"We also want to engage with as many people as possible," Mr Barker said.

"As we want this to be an absolutely faithful restoration and one which everybody can be proud of."

The Iron Duke pub became a listed building in 2017 following campaigns by Friends of The Iron Duke. (Image: Jordon Thomas Sendall)

Mr Barker said he expected the first stage of consultations, research and development will take around eight months before the second phase of the restoration begins.

Zaks restaurant owners Chris Carr and Ian Hacon said they were "over the moon" to be involved with the project.

"Ian and I had talked about this place for years," said Mr Carr.

"Even when we were involved with the previous owners of Zaks, we always thought the Iron Duke would be a terrific site for something a little bit different.

"We have to stress - it won't just be a burger bar, it will be a leisure complex with something for everyone."

The Iron Duke was first licenced in 1940 and was designed by Arthur W Ecclestone. (Image: Friends of the Iron Duke)

The owners said that while the other aspect of the bar and restaurant business is still only in the concept stage, they are confident it will be a success.

Mr Hacon has 15 years of experience in the leisure industry with Zaks’ parent company Blue Sky Leisure, including nine years as its chief executive.

Mr Hacon said: "We will draw on our experience to create something that's a sustainable and viable asset to the community."

Inside one of the bars of the Iron Duke in Great Yarmouth. (Image: Jordon Thomas Sendall)

The pair intend to respect the building's heritage, with the inclusion of recreations of classic Art Deco designs and light fixtures which will be inside the new bar and restaurant complex.

"We want to maintain some of the building's historical importance in the area," Mr Carr added.
"This site has ridiculous amounts of potential and there is a lot to look at."

Mr Barker said the preservation trust had previously considered a range of possible businesses overseeing the building, including converting the pub into residential units or a wildlife centre for the nearby dunes.

"We went through about 10 options in all," Mr Barker said.

"And the one which seemed most viable - and sustainable - was a bigger business.

"Working with Zaks, it will be up to them how it can thrive as a business while maintaining its historical importance in the town. 

"We owe a lot of thanks to the National Lottery. They want to avoid buildings being restored to only close down again. It is so important for the holding's future and legacy that we go with a sustainable and viable business approach."

The Iron Duke closed its doors in 2008 and was bought by Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust in December 2020. (Image: Jordon Thomas Sendall)

The Friends of Iron Duke group has long campaigned for the pub to reopen and ensured it became a listed building in November 2017.

They group have queried the whole process around the process to bring the pub back into use, including the lack of public consultation.

The group will publish a questionnaire in the new year asking what people would like to see included in the renovated building. The group said it will send responses to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the preservation trust.

For more information, visit their Facebook page.