Bolton Community Pub Set To Reopen Following Transformational Makeover

The Rose & Crown, located in Westhoughton in Bolton is set to officially reopen on Thursday 21st May following a transformational investment of £275,000. The pub is part of Proper Pubs, the award-winning community wet-led operator division of Admiral Taverns, which operates more than 200 pubs across England, Scotland and Wales.

Behind the bar is passionate community hero, Ray Lester, who brings over a decade of experience to The Rose & Crown. His expertise, combined with his energy and enthusiasm, will enable him to create a lively social hub for local residents to enjoy, further cementing the pub at the heart of the local community.

Inside, the pub will be completely transformed to include brand new flooring, fixtures, fittings and furniture throughout as well as updated decor – to breathe a fresh lease of life into the pub. In addition, the pub will be introducing new darts and pool areas in the lower bar.

Outside, The Rose & Crown hosts new covered areas to socialise, lighting and a children’s play area. The exterior decoration has also been refreshed with new paint and signage, creating a welcoming first impression for customers.

The pub will officially reopen to the community at 12pm on Thursday 21st May.

The pub will offer a wide range of premium draught lager, stout and cider including Madri, Fosters, Coors, Carling, Guinness, Murphy’s and Strongbow. The pub will also be introducing an exciting cocktail menu, to ensure there is something for everyone.

Ray Lester, Operator of The Rose & Crown, said: “I’m delighted to be taking over The Rose & Crown, and it’s been fantastic to see the transformation come together over the past few weeks. The space is already looking great, and I’m really excited to start welcoming customers through the doors – both familiar faces and those visiting for the first time.”

On top of the fantastic drinks selection, the operator will host a busy schedule of entertainment for customers to enjoy including regular live music, karaoke, quiz nights, pool teams, and darts teams. Ray is also hoping to support all aspects of community life by collecting food to donate to the local foodbank as well as raising money to have a lifesaving defibrillator installed. Going forward, he also hopes to support several local causes close to the community’s heart.

Matt Gurney, Operations Director for Proper Pubs, said: “It’s a real pleasure to welcome Ray to The Rose & Crown, and it’s been fantastic to watch the refurbishment come to life. We look forward to welcoming the local community into the pub, especially for the reopening event on the 21st of May. On behalf of myself and the whole team at Proper Pubs, we’d like to wish Ray every success in his new venture – it’s great to have him on board!”

Proper Pubs is always looking for ways to support its communities through an annual schedule of events and fundraising initiatives. This year over Easter it collected 21,619 Easter eggs donated to local charities and in 2025 operators collected 17,500 selection boxes to donate to local charities and communities in need for Christmas, as well as raising £80,255 for Admiral Taverns’ charity partner, Claire House Hospice.

Furthermore, last year, Proper Pubs also successfully donated enough food to local foodbanks across the UK to feed 1,300 people for a week and has also been recognised in the UK-wide defibrillator installation campaign which has already saved 11 lives.

In 2026, Proper Pubs was listed as a finalist in the Best Community Pub category at the Great British Publican Awards and was previously crowned Community Pub Operator at the Publican Awards in 2024.