BEER will once again flow from the taps of a Winchester pub that closed about a year ago.

City publican Jayne Gillin will reopen The Green Man pub in Southgate Street next month.

But the news is less rosy for another historic pub, The Rising Sun in Bridge Street, which remains shut.

Ms Gillin — who also runs The Corner House and St James’ Tavern in Winchester — said she plans to turn the hostelry into a lounge bar for the over-35s.

She said: “I’m very passionate about pubs and I hate the fact there are seven pubs a day closing in England.

“The Corner House was going to be closed and the Green Man is not for the fainthearted.

“I’m on a mission to reinvigorate what I think are lovely old pubs.”

Refurbishments are underway ahead of the pub’s planned re-opening in mid-September.

Ms Gillin said she wants to have a lounge bar downstairs and an eating area above.

She added: “I think it’s a lovely old building and I think it’s been badly abused over the last 10 years.

“One of the biggest problems with Winchester is there’s very few pubs where if you’re over 35 you feel comfortable to go.”

City historian Phil Yates, who published a book on Winchester’s pubs called Time Gentleman Please, welcomed Ms Gillin’s arrival.

He said: “If Jayne is prepared to take over The Green Man then good luck to her because she’s made a great success of The Corner House — that was in a terrible state until she took it over.”

Meanwhile, the agent behind marketing The Rising Sun said he is hopeful of having a new tenant installed by November.

Nick Earee, divisional director of Fleurets, said: “It’s old and historic and it’s got lots of character, but inside it does require investment.”

Mr Earee said he’d had interest from a broad range of people — from those wanting to run it as a traditional pub, to someone who wanted to open an organic restaurant.

He added: “It’s still available but we have three parties who would like to potentially proceed with it.”

The pub, like The Green Man, was partly rebuilt by famous Winchester architect Thomas Stopher Junior in the late 19th century. Yet the Rising Sun is substantially medieval, and boasts three bar/dining areas and five-bedroom accommodation.

Mr Yates added: “If it’s left much longer it will rot away, but I hope someone’s prepared to take it over and preserve that old part of Winchester.”

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