Search is still on for 'right long-term operator' at Northampton's 'oldest pub' following multi-million-pound refurbishment

The Old Black Lion, near the railway station, has been on the rental market for a number of months and is looking for an operator to take on the running of the recently refurbished pub.

The Grade II listed site, purchased by the former Northampton Borough Council and later inherited by West Northamptonshire Council (WNC), was restored by the Churches Conservation Trust (CCT).

The £3.5 million refurbishment included refurbished bars, a new restaurant, and courtyard seating.

The CCT now uses the upper floor of the Old Black Lion as its national headquarters. However, the ground floor will reopen as a community-focused pub, with a landlord paying rent to the trust. Profits from the pub will support conservation work, including at nearby St Peter’s Church, while providing hospitality to support the church’s events and the wider regeneration of the area.

Following the latest update in January this year, Chronicle & Echo asked the CCT if any progress had been made on securing a landlord for the pub.

In response, a CCT spokesperson said: “The Old Black Lion has been actively marketed by Fleurets for less than six months and we remain positively focused on securing the right long-term operator for the site.”

The pub was supposed to be operated by Phipps Brewery, however, in November 2025, it was revealed that this would no longer be happening.

The pub is earmarked to become the “centrepiece” of the planned Marefair Heritage Gateway, which will include hundreds of new flats, a park, a hotel, and other developments.