A popular Kent Wetherspoon pub is set to close for seven weeks as it undergoes a major refurbishment costing more than £550,000.
The Samuel Peto, in Folkestone, will shut its doors to customers at the end of the month while extensive works are carried out.
The venue first opened inside a former baptist church in April 1998
Operated by JD Wetherspoon, which runs nearly 800 pubs across the UK, first opened the venue in April 1998 inside a converted Baptist church and it still retains many of its original features.
Now, the company has confirmed the Rendezvous Street site requires significant upgrades over the coming months to refresh both its interior and exterior.
The venue will be closed between Tuesday, May 26 and Thursday, July 16.
The Samuel Peto will close for seven weeks to undergo a major refurbishment
Planned improvements include the installation of a new lobby and bar area, alongside replacement of carpets, ceiling repairs and redecoration of the building’s exterior, including updated signage.
Staff currently based at The Samuel Peto will be temporarily redeployed to other nearby Wetherspoon pubs until the venue reopens in mid-July.
The closure means the pub will miss most of the World Cup period, although it is expected to welcome customers back just three days before the final.
The project is set to cost £552,834
In total, the project is expected to cost £552,834.
Contractors have already been spotted measuring inside the historic building and are due to begin work on Monday, May 11.
Construction is scheduled to be completed by Tuesday, July 7, before the site is handed back the following week ahead of reopening.
Folkestone and Hythe District Council received a planning application for the upgrades in January, with proposals later approved in March.
No new seating will be introduced as part of the refurbishment
According to submitted documents, the venue’s existing “tea stain” decorative finish will be replaced with a more modern single block paint scheme using Dulux Heritage shades Pearl Barley and Ancient Sandstone.
Externally, one of the two “Freehouse” signs on the front of the building will be replaced with new “Wetherspoon” branding.
The replacement carpet has also been designed by manufacturer Brintons, drawing inspiration from the building’s striking ceiling structure and stained glass windows.
High-level ceiling repairs will be carried out during the closure period
Elsewhere, existing timber flooring will be repolished, while damaged ceramic tiles in the bar area will be replaced with Amtico.
Further upgrades include improvements to the cellar and dispense systems, back bar works, removal of the chargrill and additional kitchen enhancements.
There will be no new seating inside the refurbished venue.
The pub occupies the former Salem Chapel, which was originally funded through a loan from Sir Samuel Peto.
A prominent Baptist and one of the leading railway contractors of the Victorian era, he was responsible for laying around 750 miles of track in England and a further 2,300 miles worldwide.
He later served as Folkestone’s MP for two decades before resigning in 1866 after being declared insolvent.