Pub reopens with unearthed Victorian features after £200k refurb
A city centre pub dating back to the 1800s has officially re-opened after an eight-week refurbishment. The venue, which is located off Bold Street, has undergone an extensive transformation.
Newington Temple pub is the latest acquisition from Ma Boyles Pub Group - the team behind Tempest on Tithebarn, Nova Scotia and Ma Boyle's Alehouse and Eatery.
They say the £200,000 renovation has seen original features which were previously hidden unearthed and revived. The pub has also received a fresh paint job to match the ceiling green which was revealed after stripping back the roof.
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Items dating back more than 100 years found in storage in rooms on the upper floors have also been incorporated into the pub's decor, including the original pub telephone which has been rehung.
Newington Temple boasts a 'cabinet of savoury curiosities' back bar display featuring more than 20 large glass jars holding a rotating selection of snacks.
Newington Temple will also screen Premier League football and sports on several TVs around the venue. Iain Hoskins, director of Ma Pub Group said: "It's been a labour of love over the past couple of months as the building was in quite a bad way.
"Like with domestic renovations of period buildings, 8 Newington threw up a number of unforeseen surprises and challenges along the way. It reminds me of the work we did with Ma Boyle's and before that Ma Egerton's here in the city, both of which had reached the end of the road and the future for them looked bleak prior to the work we did with restoring them and giving them a fresh purpose.
"With Newington Temple, I'm very pleased with what we've achieved; the place is stunning, we've done justice to its rich history and preserved the pub and the building for future generations to enjoy.
"Digging into Newington's background, it's been illuminating understanding what used to go on here, especially the performance side. The pub, in its various name changes across the decades has outlived every other business on Bold Street over the last two centuries."
The building's early era saw it used as a vaudeville performance space, hosting the debut UK performance of circus performer Tom Thumb in 1844.
Managed by circus impresario PT Barnum, Tom Thumb was booked for a week-long engagement in February 1844 at No 8 Newington, where he performed in costumes such a Napoleon and the Greek Gods for the price of 6p entrance fee.
As a dedication to No 8 Newington being Tom Thumb's debut performance on British soil, the lounge area of the pub has now been named the Tom Thumb Lounge with their own branded lager also being named after the legendary diminutive performer.
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