Closed pub conversion nears end

THE final phase of renovation work to transform a closed pub in Wargrave is underway.

The Greyhound in High Street has been closed since December 2021 following the retirement of Steve Linstead as its tenant landlord.

Work has been progressing since January last year to turn the pub into a guest house, wine bar and shop.

New owners Sarah and Nick Hart, who also run the H’Artisan café, also in High Street, have said the final development will include four boutique guest rooms and a community-focused space downstairs.

The pair are also looking into a retail partnership for a business to move into the venue.

Posting on social media, the Harts added: “If you’ve ever dreamed of opening a small shop, deli, butchers, wine bar or something similar, we’d love to hear from you.”

Earlier this year, H’Artisan won licensing consent to change the layout of the building.

This gave permission to remove a disabled toilet to increase the size of the kitchen, reconfigure the toilets in the bar area and remove the wall between the main bar and the wine bar.

Wokingham Borough Council also approved a series of adjustments to the project last summer.

These involved lowering the height of an existing chimney, replacing windows and external doors with timber-framed double glazing and alterations to the exterior of the office outbuilding.