£1.4m refurb and expansion for Peterborough city centre pub to bring courtyard garden and roof terrace

The work will start at the pub - currently holding a 12-day real ale festival - on October 28 and it is due to reopen again on February 11 next year.

Staff will be deployed to other Wetherspoon pubs in the region, during the closure for the work, and will return for the reopening.

An additional 15 full- and part-time jobs will also be created when The Draper’s Arms reopens.

The popular pub, in Cowgate, which first opened as a Wetherspoon in March 2005, is undergoing a refurbishment project, as well as expansion to the customer area and the creation of two new gardens.

The scheme will see an extension added to the rear of the building, creating additional customer area within the pub, as well as adding both a rear courtyard garden and a new roof terrace garden.

Behind the scenes, the cellar is being relocated into the basement, creating space for a food pick up area and new bar servery.

On the bar, two additional handpumps will increase the real ale selection to 12.

The work also includes a new reconfigured and larger kitchen area, as well as new staff facilities.

The customer toilets will also be completely refurbished.

The pub will be redecorated throughout, including a new colour scheme and finishes, new carpets and lighting, as well as a mixture of new and refurbished furniture and artwork.

Pub manager Chris Parkes said: “Wetherspoon is spending £1.4 million on the pub, providing further substantial investment into the area, as well as creating new jobs for local people.

“Myself and my team will look forward to welcoming customers back into The Draper’s Arms, in February 2020, and we are confident that they will be impressed by the new-look pub, as well as the brand-new gardens.”

The huge investment is the latest in a series of boosts for Cowgate - with Heavenly Desserts and Afro-Caribbean restaurant Embe both opening recently, plus a costly refurb and expansion for The Pizza House in the summer.