Relief as 200-year-old Hampstead pub’s revamp preserves historic charm
Residents rallied to save The Holly Bush pub when the plans emerged last year. Picture: Nigel Sutton - Credit: Nigel Sutton
The historic charm of a much-loved Hampstead pub has survived refurbishment, relieved residents have claimed.
The 200-year-old Holly Bush, in Hollymount, reopened last week following a six-week revamp carried out by its owner Fuller’s brewery.
Plans to overhaul the Grade II-listed watering hole sparked fears that its unique character would be “destroyed” when they emerged last year.
One resident who expressed concern was Alastair Munro, 45, a tax advisor who lives two doors away in Hollymount, but he said this week: “I think they have done a really good job, because it still feels like the old Holly Bush.
“All the refurbishment is in keeping with the place we all loved and knew, even down to the ceiling’s paint job – they seem to have found a paint colour which looks like the colour of old tobacco stains.”
Fuller’s undertook the work to improve the pub’s kitchen and dining spaces.
