A popular pub has been given a new lease of life following a major refurbishment by brewery owners Thwaites.
The Queen Anne on High Street, Little Lever, has undergone a dramatic three-week renovation, with husband-and-wife landlords Kate Sutcliffe and Phil Regan, who took over the pub on July 1, 2024, welcoming the transformation.
The pub has been fully revamped and restyled throughout.
The refurbishment, carried out by Thwaites, included fresh paint and new wallpaper, alongside new tables and chairs, carpets, tiling, windows and toilets, and upgraded TVs across the pub.
Improvements were also made to the exterior signage.
One of the standout additions is a brand-new interactive darts area, designed to cater for the pub’s strong darts community.
Kate said: “It had been around 20 years since the last renovation and it was starting to look tired, so it needed doing.
“Everything went so smoothly and now it looks great. We were given a mood board and collaborated on a few things.
“I think they spent around £150,000, if not more, and it’s definitely brought in more customers.”
The revamped darts section replaces the pub’s previous set-up of two standalone boards and provides a dedicated, fully equipped space for teams and competitions.
Kate added: “Before, we had two dart boards at the other end of the pub.
"Now we have our own section with properly equipped interactive darts, which is great because we have a lot of darts teams that come to play here.
“We have a ladies’ team on Tuesdays, a mixed team on Wednesdays and a men’s team on Thursdays.
"We’ve just had a competition and we’ll be hosting another this weekend.”
As part of the upgrade, the pub has also introduced new drink lines including Caffrey’s, Rekorderlig and Staropramen, while continuing its long-standing connection with Thwaites Brewery.
The Queen Anne has a rich history dating back to at least 1892, with the current building constructed in 1908.
Over the decades, it has been at the heart of Little Lever life, with memories stretching back to the 1950s, once one of around 11 pubs in the area, it is now one of the few still trading.
Despite the modern updates, the pub has retained some of its traditional charm, including etched glass windows labelled ‘snug’ and ‘tap room’, Victorian tiles and distinctive brass bar fittings.
One customer said: "It was looking really tired, everything you see in here its all brand new.
"All the TVs, the tables it looks fantastic."
Kate said she is delighted with the results of the renovation and the response from customers.
She said: “We’re really happy with how it’s turned out."
Alongside its darts teams, the pub hosts a packed weekly schedule including bingo on Mondays, games nights on Wednesdays, karaoke and discos on Fridays, killer pool on Saturdays and karaoke on Sundays.
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