Burnley's William's Lounge Bar ready to unveil new look in time for fourth birthday

The re-modelling work at William’s Lounge Bar has taken around three months to complete and been a labour of love for owners Neil and Keira Crossley. The old bathroom facilities at the bar in Yorke Street have been ripped out and re-sited to make way for a new seating area that will accommodate an extra 25 customers.

Keira said: “The difference it has made to the bar is incredible and once we have completed all the finishing touches it is going to look amazing, we are really pleased with it.

“The bar is evolving and as this is such an historic building we are learning more about it all the time.”

The property which is also a former builder’s merchants, opposite the Mechanics Theatre, was bought by the couple in 2019.

Already well known in Burnley, Neil has run Our Eddie's barbers, next door to Willliam's, for 30 years. He also runs The Food Paddock which is a mobile horsebox conversion, selling authentic, handcrafted Neopolitan style pizzas.

When they bought the building the couple were unsure what to do with it at first and then had to deal with the negative response when they came up with the idea for a bar. But they pressed on with the refurbishment and the bar had a flying start, but after a year in business covid hit.

The completion of the renovation works marks the fourth birthday of the bar whose name pays homage to Keira's late brother, Damian William Stuttard, who died of brain cancer in 2017. A framed drawing of Damian takes pride of place in the bar.

Keira said: “It is the fourth birthday but in reality we haven’t been open for four years as we had to close for such a long time during the pandemic.”