A village pub that dates back to the 16th century is expected to reopen its doors this week.

The Crown in Penn closed in July after a £3million refurbishment project was given the go-ahead, with its relaunch date being scheduled for Friday, October 25.

The six-figure investment has transformed the dining space, private dining space, the bar and the gardens, whilst the structure of the boozer has stayed the same.

This is due to it being a protected Grade II Listed building. 

New general manager at The Crown, Alan Morrison, said: “The refurbishment at The Crown is really picking up pace and it’s brilliant to see all the finer design details start to come together.

“We can’t wait for our guests to see how we have transformed the pub when we open our doors this week.

“With an incredible new dedicated dining area that can seat more than 90 people, a relaxed bar area, plus a completely renovated outdoor space, where guests can relax and unwind all year round, The Crown will be a fantastic place for locals to enjoy.

“Our experienced and passionate team is focused on ensuring that guests have the best experience when they visit us, no matter the occasion.

“We can’t wait to welcome everyone into the pub this week.”

The pub is owned by Greene King and was one of many under their Chef & Brewer umbrella, but as of this month, the establishment will be under the brewery company’s subsidiary, Crafted.

The reopening of the boozer comes with much anticipation, after initial rumours suggested that the pub had closed for good on July 14.

An email had been sent to numerous customers explaining that the venue would be ‘closing its doors’, and that members of the public were able to have visit ‘to say farewell’.

This caused mass confusion to the locals within Penn, who believed that the business was permanently closing.

One staff member told the Free Press in the summer that this wasn’t the case, and that the closure was for the refit, which is now nearly complete.

They told the BFP at the time: “This is one of the problems with social media because rumours and Chinese Whispers start to spread.

“We’ve had people within the last year to year-and-a-half come in saying that they had heard we were closing and it’s not true.”

Bookings for the 270m square pub are now live, with sensitive restoration works on the Grade-II listed, 16th-century coach house nearly at completion.

The official opening is on Friday October 25, where it will then be open daily from 10am, serving brunch through to evening supper and drinks.