ONE of Barnsley’s oldest pubs is due to reopen later this month after a £250,000 investment by a Barnsley couple.
The former Brownes Bar in Graham’s Orchard is to become Temple of Muses a throwback to its original name The Temple of The Muses.
The pub, thought to date back to at least 1807, was bought last December for £125,000 by Claire and Jon Chambers, of Victoria Street, Barnsley, who have since spent roughly the same again restoring it to its full glory.
They have previously been in the cafe and restaurant business but it is their first public house.
“We’re really excited about it,” said Claire, 46. “I remember going in Brownes a lot when I was younger, it was a well loved place.
“The building itself has been a bit neglected, it’s been a shame to see it looking unloved, so we’ve put a lot of passion and energy into it and we hope to turn it back into a well-loved place for the next 20 years or more.”
Layer upon layer of decades-old paint and bitumen has been stripped to reveal the original stonework, and inside it has been stripped back to its original beamwork.
It will also feature an outdoor roof terrace at the back. It will focus on real ales and fine gin.
“I love beer, but I’m also a major gin fan, and me and friends of ours often tend to go out in Leeds and Sheffield and I think that’s a shame, we don’t always want to do that, we want to go out in Barnsley. Since we bought it last year we’ve already seen a change in Barnsley, there’s some great places, and hopefully we can add something extra and a bit different.”
