Sunderland's 200-year-old Kings Arms reopens with new management and a new look

With its intricately-carved back bar and roaring fires, The Kings Arms in Deptford is teeming with Georgian charm and character.

Thought to be one of Sunderland's oldest pubs, dating back to 1834, it once pulled pints for hordes of workers from the shipyards which lined the banks of the Wear and was one in a string of pubs in the once thriving industrial area.

It's one of a handful of old pubs that still remain in the area and was taken over by the same team who run The Ship Isis in Silksworth Row in December.

They opened briefly over Christmas before closing for around a month to give the historic pub a makeover, replacing panelling on the walls, repairing brickwork, stripping and sanding the bar, adding a heritage blue colour scheme in keeping with the history of the building and giving it some much-needed TLC.

The pub, in Beach Street, is now up and running and publican Neil Bassett said it's already drawing a new crowd to the historic watering hole.

"We have long talked about this pub and always admired it," he said. "It has such a rich history. Although it was first registered in 1834, we believe it may date back to the early 1800s.

"Back in the day it was the place to be and many people remember the old bus that would go between the Deptford pubs and we plan to get it back to the glory days.

"As with Ship Isis, which we took over in 2019, we wanted to keep the pub's regulars whilst also showing it off to a new crowd without ruining the identity of the pub - and that's what we'll be doing here."

The pub offers guest cask beers from breweries such as Ossett, Caledonian and Timothy Taylor, as well as an expanding wine list, a whisky and bourbon shelf and cocktails, such as margaritas and negronis, which are proving popular.

There's no kitchen at the pub, but they'll be offering elevated bar snacks, including a range of classic pickled eggs with a twist.

The renovation was phase one of the reopening, with attention now turning to the south facing beer garden at the rear of the site.

The plan is to open the outdoor area this summer, offering quality barbecue dishes.

Nearby in Deptford, the team at Wild Fire this month opened their first stand alone bar and restaurant at the former Hanover Place pub after building up a loyal following serving from the kitchen at The Ship Isis.

They've paid homage to the rich history of the site with its new branding which takes style cues from the shipyard years.

It's already bringing a new audience to this historic corner of the city and it's hoped the businesses will create a new route as an alternative to the city centre.

Neil said: "It was a happy accident that Wild Fire opened nearby. We knew that they would be moving out of the Ship Isis but when we first started looking at this pub last year we didn't know it would be at Hanover Place.

"The businesses really complement each other with people already going between the two."

Deptford also stands on the edge of the multi-million pound Riverside development, which will see 1,000 new homes, comprised of four communities, built on both sides of the river.

Other new additions will include the new Eye Hospital, a new home for the old Eye Infirmary, and a new footbridge which will link the game-changing developments, as well as 1 million square feet of offices and workspace for 8,000 – 10,000 jobs.

As Riverside takes shape in the coming years, Riverside Park will be created, a green space which includes the valley of Galley’s Gill, both banks of the River Wear and bands of woodland. 

*The Kings Arms, Deptford, is open 4pm to 10pm Monday to Friday, 12pm to 11pm on Saturday and 12pm to 9pm on Sunday.