Darwen community pub reopened following transformational makeover
- Guild Secretary
- Jul 1
- 3 min read
The Alexandra, located on Alexandra View in Darwen, officially reopened on Wednesday 17th June following a transformational investment of £323,256. The pub is part of Proper Pubs, the award-winning community wet-led operator division of Admiral Taverns, which operates more than 200 pubs across England, Scotland and Wales.
Behind the bar is passionate community hero, Kieran Walton, who brings a wealth of industry experience and local knowledge to The Alexandra. His expertise, combined with his energy and enthusiasm, will enable him to create a lively social hub for local residents to enjoy, further cementing the pub at the heart of the local community.
Inside, the pub has been completely transformed to include brand new flooring, fixtures, fittings and furniture throughout as well as updated decor – to breathe a fresh lease of life into the pub. In addition, the pub has been given a more open floorplan and will now have a dedicated darts and pool room.
Outside, The Alexandra hosts a new beer garden with covered areas to socialise. The exterior decoration has also been refreshed with new signage, creating a welcoming first impression for customers.
The pub has a wide range of premium draught lager, stouts, and cider. The pub has also introduced an exciting cocktail menu, to ensure there is something for everyone.
Kieran Walton, Operator of The Alexandra, said: "It's been fantastic to take over the Alexandra, especially now that the refurbishment is complete. The pub looks amazing, and since we opened, we've welcomed so many people through the doors to experience everything we have to offer. The support from the local community so far has been incredible, and the success we've had already makes me very excited for everything the future holds.
Once again, I'd like to thank everyone at Proper Pubs for all their support throughout this journey, and I look forward to serving the community and making them proud!"
On top of the fantastic drinks selection, the operator has a busy schedule of entertainment lined up including regular live music, karaoke, quiz nights, pool teams, and darts teams. Kieran is also hoping to support all aspects of community life by collecting food to donate to the local foodbank as well as raising money to have a lifesaving defibrillator installed. Going forward, he also hopes to support several local causes close to the community's heart.
Nikki Greenhalgh, Operations Director for Proper Pubs, said: "
"It has been fantastic to welcome Kieran to the Alexandra. The opening week has been a roaring success, particularly the VIP night! On behalf of the entire Proper Pubs team, I would like to thank Kieran for all his hard work and wish him the very best of luck -it's great to have him on board.
Bringing people together and creating thriving community hubs is at the heart of what we do, and we are so glad to see another successful community pub opening."
Proper Pubs is always looking for ways to support its communities through an annual schedule of events and fundraising initiatives. This year over Easter it collected 21,619 Easter eggs donated to local charities and in 2025 operators collected 17,500 selection boxes to donate to local charities and communities in need for Christmas, as well as raising £80,255 for Admiral Taverns' charity partner, Claire House Hospice.
Furthermore, last year, Proper Pubs also successfully donated enough food to local foodbanks across the UK to feed 1,300 people for a week and has also been recognised in the UK-wide defibrillator installation campaign which has already saved 11 lives.
In 2026, Proper Pubs was listed as a finalist in the Best Community Pub category at the Great British Publican Awards and was previously crowned Community Pub Operator at the Publican Awards in 2024.
The Alexandra, Alexandra View, Darwen, UK
Notes to Editors
Admiral Taverns (“Admiral”) is the UK's number one community pub group. Headquartered in Chester; the Group operates a national estate of c.1,350 predominantly wet-led community pubs. Admiral's unique operational approach has earnt industry recognition with the Group winning Best Community Pub Operator at the 2024 Publican Awards, whilst also being shortlisted for Best Partnership Pub Company (501+ Sites). In 2019, 2016 and 2013, Admiral Taverns won Best Leased and Tenanted Pub Company at the Publican Awards and ranked highly commended as Best Community Pub Operator in 2017. The Group has also been consistently highly rated by licensees in the industry's independent annual Tenant Track survey, exceeding the scores of all its national peers.
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