A question mark hangs over the future of a legendary music venue in Kentish Town - where scores of rock acts including Nirvana, Blur and Coldplay started out - as it goes to sale on the open market.

The Bull and Gate, in Kentish Town Road, has been in the same hands for 32 years.

But with the private owners approaching retirement and no ties to a brewery, it will be sold to the highest bidder.

The asking price is �2.7million and its agent is confident that its history means it will sell.

It was the site of the popular Timebox club in the 1980s and 1990s, and since then has seen early performances by The Libertines, Suede and The Manic Street Preachers, amongst others.

The estate agent, Chris Bickle, of David Coffer Lyons, said the 17th century property’s size and character, including certain listed features on the ground floor, would attract developers.

He said: “Developers are often attracted to a listed public house because of the period features, which include high ceilings and good floor-plates and the kerbside appeal of these grand buildings.

“The fact that a building is Grade II listed, the lowest of the grades, does not prevent development that is permitted through the listed building consent process.”

He suggested that if bought by a developer the upper two floors of the building, where there are currently eight bedrooms, could be used for flats or housing.

While on the ground floor where the fa�ade and elements of the interior are protected the pub would remain “in some shape and form”.

The best case scenario would be if a London brewery group or even a nostalgic rock star whose career was launched there would step in to save the venue, he said.

“It would be amazing if someone like Coldplay’s Chris Martin picked up the phone and said he wanted to buy it,” said Mr Bickle.

The current landlord, Patrick Lynskey, who is retiring, said he hoped it would be sold as a going concern to someone with a passion for continuing its live music tradition.