Preston Community Pub Reopens Following Transformational Makeover
The Arkwrights, located on Plungington Road in Preston, officially reopened on Thursday 1st October following a transformational investment of £280,546. 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 Aiden Bowley, who has taken over as the operator of the Arkwrights after completing the Proper Pubs Pathways Training Programme. Launched earlier this year, the Pathways training programme is a 12-week programme that combines practical experience across multiple pubs with structured online learning before candidates take responsibility for running a pub independently. Aiden was selected to participate in the programme after showing serious potential for becoming a future operator whilst working as an assistant manager at another Proper Pubs site, the Plungington in Preston. 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 – which has breathed a fresh lease of life into the pub.
Outside, The Arkwrights has been completely refreshed with new paint and signage, that has created a welcoming first impression for customers.
The pub has a wide range of premium draught lager, stout and cider on offer, as well as a range of wines, soft drinks and spirits. The pub has also introduced an exciting cocktail menu, to ensure there is something for everyone.
Aiden Bowley, Operator of The Arkwrights, said: "Taking over the Arkwrights has been an incredible experience, especially seeing the refurbishment come to life. Completing the Pathways Programme gave me invaluable skills, as well as the confidence I needed to take this next step in my career and take on my first pub. The backing from the Proper Pubs team has been second to none from day one and I am grateful for all their support.
The response from the local community since we reopened has blown me away. We’ve already welcomed so many people through the doors to see the new space, and the energy in the pub has been fantastic. I'm really proud of the start we’ve made, and I’m excited to serve locals here for many years to come!"
On top of the fantastic drinks selection, the operator has a busy schedule of entertainment lined up including regular live music, karaoke, games nights, pool teams, and darts teams. In addition to this, the pub will be hosting a student night every Thursday with great drinks offers, open mic sessions and games. Aiden also plans 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 Aiden as the new operator of the Arkwrights, especially as a graduate of our Pathways Programme. I have no doubt he will make a huge success of running his own venue. Since reopening, Aidan has really hit the ground running, and on behalf of everyone at Proper Pubs, I’d like to congratulate Aiden on all his hard work and wish him the very best of luck for the future.
Bringing people together and creating vibrant 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 to donate to local charities and in 2025 operators collected 20,500 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 Arkwrights, Plungington Road, Preston, 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.1,365 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.
For further information please contact Polly Clarke/Amy Keane via Admiral@brandpotential.com.
Third-party news items are published as received for informational purposes. Publication does not imply endorsement by the Guild. Please use the contact details within the post for any enquiries.
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