A truly historic town centre pub is set to be reopened in Kendal after it has been stood empty for over 18 months, of living guests at least.
The iconic Ring O' Bells on Kirkland, Kendal, said to be one of the only pubs in Britain built on consecrated ground, is finally about to unleash its earthly charms once again on the public, with new owners Tony and Diane Leach organizing the finishing touches before the grand relaunch on Friday at 5pm.
Tony said: "We've got new carpets, ceiling, the artwork's ready, the cellar's ready, the beer's arrived, now it's just a last few mad hours to pull it all together.
"We've tried not to take any of the character of the building away, but just to modernise it a bit, as we have to appeal to a younger clientele as well as the older crowd.
"There's two bars, one with your funky ales and craft beers, and the other side being more traditional."
The pub was originally built in the 1700s to supply the church wardens with refreshment, and is reputed to have served Bonnie Prince Charlie and Charles Dickens in its time.
Tony and Diane clearly see the allure of the venue's ghostly reputation, with the first supernatural event taking place on 15 January - a meal and seance hosted by psychic medium Gordon Walsh, at £45 per ticket.
Tony said: "Since we advertised the seance on Facebook the interest's been crazy. We've sold over half the tickets already!"
Tony's friend, Scott Dawson, said that there is definitely something to the legend, as he walked down the old stone steps clutching an electro-magnetic field meter (often used to detect paranormal activity):
"As soon as you walk into the cellar, something hits you, it's oppressive. I don't feel comfortable in here at all.
This little room here has an escape hole which I think the priests used to escape out of."
Tony spoke of the original features that he has unearthed since delving into the property:
"We think we've found a hidden chute, and the foundation of an older building - it's all so interesting when you start looking into it.
"We're just ready to open the doors and rock and roll now!"
The Ring O' Bells will very soon have the grand old sign, painted in 1814, proudly hanging once again, to beckon the public into it's ancient embrace.
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