A former North Yorkshire police station has been transformed into a pub with 30 bedrooms following a multi-million-pound redevelopment.
The Inn Collection Group has spent 18 months remodelling the building in the North Yorkshire market town of Northallerton to create the Northallerton Inn.
The pub with rooms on Northallerton’s High Street was officially opened by John Proud, retired inspector of Northallerton Police Station, who was in charge there between 1995 and 2003. Onlookers cheered as John cut through a police tape and The Northallerton Inn was opened as North Yorkshire’s newest place to eat, drink, sleep and explore from.
John was given a show around the building including his former office and the station’s custody suite which has been transformed into heritage-style bedrooms which still retain some original features that give an arresting nod to its former past, including the main entrance and staircase.
John said: “The transformation is amazing. The décor is very tasteful and I guarantee the bedrooms – in particular, the cell bedrooms – will be far more comfortable than the accommodation we had to offer. One thing that does remain the same is the view from my old office window.
“It has been lovely reminiscing on the layout of the old station and its remarkable conversion. It has certainly brought back many memories, but now it is time to look forward. The conversion is remarkable. I am delighted to see that The Inn Collection Group has breathed new life into the building.”
Managing director of The Inn Collection Group Sean Donkin said: “This has been a particularly exciting project for us. We are delighted with the transformation of this very special building. It has such a fascinating past we wanted to pull out all the stops to give justice to this. Giving it a brand new purpose and watching it come to life with customers of all ages after so long is brilliant to see.
“Northallerton is a great country town with bags of character and The Northallerton Inn is at the heart of it. We are very happy to be trading and being part of the community here, with a new venue that local people and visitors can enjoy, providing year-round food, drink and accommodation services.”
General manager of The Northallerton Inn Jules Gibson said: “I am so proud to see our doors finally open. Seeing people’s reactions when they walked in has been amazing. The inn is everything we planned it to be – a lovely, laid-back place where people can pop in for a drink or good food in a home-from-home environment. We’re also dog friendly – so it’s brought a smile to my face seeing lots of happy, wagging tails as well.
“We have an outstanding team of staff who are as excited as I am to be open for business and being part of the fabric in Northallerton.”
