Ancient pub to be landlords' training ground

From the Swindon Advertiser, first published Thursday 16th Oct 2003.

THE former White Lion pub beside Wadworth's brewery in Northgate Street, Devizes, is being given a new lease of life as a training area for licensees of the brewery's tied houses.

The pub was closed several years ago and, until recently, has been used as little more than a storage area.

But the independent family firm, always looking to improve the quality of the pubs that it owns, set about transforming it into a training centre.

Jonathan Pollock, the company's public relations officer, said: "It will be for prospective licensees, to show them how to look after beer and the finer points of running a pub.

"We can also use it for training courses for existing licensees, just to hone their skills a little bit more.

"After the White Lion closed, it became a glorified storeroom and recently we have been concerned about using it to its fullest potential.

"While the downstairs area will be the training centre, upstairs there will be new office space. It is going to be very impressive when it is finished."

The White Lion had a long pedigree, predating the brewery, which was built in 1885. Its first mention was in 1766 when the landlord was Thomas Dean. It had stables attached to it, which burned down in 1882.

Archive Home