Woolwich pub shut with repossession notices attached
A Woolwich town centre pub facing General Gordon Square has been closed with a repossession notice attached outside.
Metal sheets have been placed across windows at the Old Gun Pit otherwise known as the Ordnance pub.
Back in 2022 plans to renovate the building were submitted to Greenwich Council and permission given, but no movement has been seen.
The pub is in a prime spot with plenty of passing footfall given the National Rail and DLR station sits one side and the Elizabeth line the other. A hostel has been located on upper floors for many year.
It also faces onto Beresford Square which is currently undergoing a multi-million pound revamp.
Work has been ongoing form some months now and suffered a hold-up when contractor Osborne entered administration.
A new contractor has since been found.
This is the second pub to see repossession in Woolwich town centre with Antic’s Woolwich Equitable seeing the same fate on General Gordon Square.
And in recent months The Bull Tavern was closed in advance of redevelopment.
The Old Gun Pit’s 2022 planning application was from Lita Homes, who are also behind plans to revamp Welling United’s ground on Park View Road.
More soon.
As you say, definitely a prime spot in Woolwich and currently the building itself is not in the best condition.
Hopefully this is a good opportunity for Lita Homes to restore it’s heritage (e.g. Victorian tiles) and offer some more attractive tables for drinks/ dining looking onto refurbished square.
Do we know if the pub has been shout because of financial issues for example rent arrears or is they other issues meaning the landlords have had to be removed from the property and the pub closed down.
Either way it is a shame. Being on a prime location close to the new Beresford Squate development. Perhaps a new owner can be found to take over the pub and refurbish the pub to make it a thriving pub once again for the residents, peopke working in and visiting Woolwich. May be a pub chain may take over the pub and add it to their property portfolio.
It’s ashame, I used to work there as a door supervisor over the weekend
Great Shame! I may have misunderstood but was led to believe this beautiful Woolwich building was to have its main entrance put back to the apex which would have really been an inviting sight from the Lizzie line/arsenal development. I also heard or read that the pub was going to reclaim its original footprint by taking back part of the original pub/building that was lost to a retail unit…I know Woolwich Exchange is going to help link “the two halves Woolwich “ but anyone with the right vision and backing could make a wonderful pub/restaurant with upstairs rooms too. On paper this has everything going for it…new square, Woolwich exchange, Lizzie line, tramshed, Woolwich works…but most of all a fantastic, historic building that deserves to be treated with due care and thought, inside and out.
I hope someone is willing and able to take this on if there isn’t someone already?
Yes, planning permission has been granted for complete restoration and redevelopment, returning the building to its original appearance and reinstating lost architectural features. The ground floor is to remain as a pub, with the upper floors converted to en-suite hotel rooms. The plans look great, so I’m hoping the repossession is related to that, and means that work could possibly start soon. As you say, a high quality pub with food would be a fantastic community asset and help bring people cross the Royal Arsenal divide. I can imagine tables and chairs outside in the square when it’s finished.
I see work has started. A check of the planning portal does indeed indicate hotel rooms to upper floors and reclaiming the original footprint (the nail bar) for use as a pub…looking foward to the end results.