Construction work has begun to transform a former clothes shop in Marlow into brand new Wetherspoon pub The Grand Assembly.

Scaffolding has gone up at the front of 3 Market Square on the top of Marlow High Street, alongside a ‘Wetherspoon’ banner and a suitably grand peek into the future interiors of the chain pub’s new venue.

A spokesperson for JD Wetherspoon previously told the Free Press that work to refurbish the site and install a beer garden at its rear would kick off in the spring.

The chain has also now confirmed an opening date for the new pub of September 2024.

After news broke of Wetherspoon’s acquisition of the site, Marlow residents fell to either side of an opinion divide around the suitability of the stereotypically cheap and cheerful chain to the area.

Some, like Maria Bazely praised the “affordability” of Sir Tim Martin’s hugely successful enterprise and said it provided a refreshing alternative to Marlow’s fine-dining fare.

However, others, like Richard Coleman, suggested that the town “has enough places to eat already” and that it might “no longer (be) a posh place” once The Grand Union arrives.

The new pub is expected to operate between 7am and midnight from Sunday to Thursday and from 7am to 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Watch this space for updates as we get them!