Blackburn’s Fleece pub has stood derelict on Penny Street for years. But with signs starting to appear that Morrisons may be on its way to moving across the road in the near future. It could mean the Fleece being reinvigorated as a new public house for Blackburn town centre.
Morrison’s intended re-location to Thwaites’ former seven-acre brewery site is seen as a major part of a £250M Master Plan which has been seen as a way of rejuvenating this part of our town centre. When these plans were submitted in 2021, the Fleece was mentioned and demolition was discussed. But closer inspection of these plans showed demolition was actually meant for an old building at the left side of this pub. Which means the Fleece is just as much a part of this master plan as all the rest of these developments.
This building which used to be at the side was once a restaurant. It’s now long gone and, in my experience, thank goodness too. On my one and only visit for a meal in here, back in the 1970’s, it left a lot to be desired. Subjecting me to what must have been the toughest steak I’d ever encountered in my life. As a teenager at the time, these were remembered as my salad days. I just wish they had been on that particular evening.
Land including part of the old brewery site will be sold to Morrisons for them to build a brand-new replacement superstore. It will be just over half the size of their current premises. This master plan will also include building 500 new homes and five commercial buildings on their present site, after it has been demolished. Building work on the old brewery site is hopefully anticipated to be underway in the summer of this year.
It would be great to see another of Blackburn’s old pubs coming back from the dead, like we’re seeing with the newly opened Ribblesdale Tap. This would be very welcome to have a pub back in operation around the Penny Street side of our town centre, especially with this area’s pub and brewery connections. Hopefully with these developments, including the Fleece, talking will stop and building will start.
What could be better for a superstore in the town centre than a having a new pub to serve its customers? It would also be a handy facility for travellers at our bus station across the road and nearby railway station to be able to enjoy a pint before, after and in between their journeys.
