New life for historic inn

AN iconic Ribble Valley inn, which no doubt holds fond memories for many local people, is set to be given a new lease of life.

In its heyday the De Tabley Arms, enjoying a glorious setting on the river Ribble just outside Ribchester, was one of the region’s most popular inns and restaurants, and later a thriving nightspot, owned by legendary East Lancashire landlady Margo Grimshaw.

But in recent years the sprawling establishment, parts of which are thought to date from the 17th century, struggled to be financially viable, despite several reincarnations under a succession of owners and managers.

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But now the De Tabley is being given a complete overhaul which should secure its future for generations to come. It is being marketed by local estate agents Mortimers as a select development of six dwellings, with the opportunity for purchasers to help create their dream home.

The former De Tabley restaurant and pub – once widely known as the place to go – was owned for several years by Whitbread Breweries and leased by Blackburn pub and nightclub queen Margo Grimshaw from the 1970s until she bought it outright in 1992.

During that time it became home to the Lodestar nightclub, a popular venue for a wide variety of functions.

In the early 1990s Ms Grimshaw leased the pub to Burlingtons and then sold it outright in 2002 for £1m.

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But the De Tabley failed to prosper and in 2007 an insolvency firm was appointed to administer its affairs. A successful pub management company was employed to keep the business going, but soon withdrew because it was not making a profit, and the once-popular venue finally shut its doors and was put on the market for £2.2m.

A series of controversial planning applications followed, including one for a single house and another proposing a 30-bed hotel extension on land at the rear, until the current scheme was finally approved.

It has meant clearing a variety of ancillary buildings and later extensions from the site to leave just the original stone buildings and detached barn. These are now being sub-divided to create five dwellings in the original buildings, each with a river frontage, plus a sympathetic barn conversion, preserving its historic features. Full details of the sceme, including prices starting from £275,000, are available from Mortimers’ Clitheroe office on 01200 427331 or Whalley office on 01254 825556.