The Railway Tavern on Prestonpans High Street is shutting for a £191,000 refurbishment to transform it into the top-quality local pub that the East Lothian seaside town is ‘crying out for’.
The overhaul is being undertaken by Heineken-owned Star Pubs and The Railway Tavern’s new licensee, Prestonpans born-and-bred Irene McQuade, whose father was a regular of the pub.
The former Pencaitland Primary School dinner lady will be helped in the revival by her partner Gerry Nicholas, a barman at The Railway Tavern, with works due to start on 20th April, with an eye on the pub reopening in mid-May.
Said McQuade: “The Railway Tavern is a beautiful old building in a fantastic location – it’s my dream pub; I wouldn’t have wanted any other.
“I can remember it in its heyday when there were many more pubs on the High Street. Now The Railway Tavern is the only one left. It’s in a sorry condition and there’s been a lot of concern about its future,” she said.
“The town is crying out for a good local where people can meet up, forget any worries and enjoy entertainment without the need to travel further afield. I’ll be going all out to deliver that.
“I’ve been overwhelmed by the response to the plans. Everyone is really excited that the pub is getting the investment it so desperately needs.”
The refurbishment will restore the distinctive exterior of the historic pub, painting it to accentuate its crenelated gables and turret and installing new signage, lighting and seating overlooking the War Memorial and seafront.
The overgrown rear garden – which is a sun trap in the summer – will be reopened with new furniture and planting.
Inside, there will be a complete revamp and upgrade using heritage colours and incorporating all-new soft furnishings and traditional-style furniture alongside renovated timber floors and reupholstered banquette seating.
Adding to the look will be painted wood panelling, decorative lighting and wallpaper plus artwork reflecting Prestonpans. In further good news for customers, the Railway Taverns’ allegedly ‘infamous’ toilets will be ripped out and replaced.
In years past, the 17th-century building has served as a private house, a barracks and an asylum. Now, its lay-out is being adapted to create a spacious downstairs bar for socialising, including a games zone with a new pool table, whilst a new darts room will be added upstairs, with two halo-lit darts boards, which will double as a space for private functions.
Other planned improvements include a high-spec AV system with screens around the pub showing Sky Sports and ‘state-of-the-art dispense equipment to ensure consistently perfect pints’.
In line with Irene’s ambition to make The Railway Tavern a hub of Prestonpans once again, once reopened it will host varied activities to bring people together, including weekly Friday evening karaoke disco and Saturday night music, with a focus on showcasing local talent.
Irene is also keen to start up pool and darts teams and will run weekday competition nights, while the venue will support Prestonpans community events like the Gala and sponsor the Prestongrange Bowling Team.
Star Pubs operations director for Scotland, Matt Dyson, said: “We’re pleased to be finally breaking ground on the refurbishment of such an iconic Prestonpans pub.
“We want The Railway Tavern to be an asset that complements the other investment the town centre has received over recent years. We’re delighted to be joining forces with Irene – her energy, ideas and knowledge of the town are just what’s required to get The Railway Tavern back on track and thriving.”
