First pub in England believed to be run by a church opens

The Mitre has been bought by, appropriately, given the pub’s name, the nearby St Thomas’s Church for almost £500,000.

It is believed to be the first pub in England run by a church.

Following an extensive refurbishment, it has opened as a pub, café, bistro and restaurant, selling breakfasts, lunches and a variety of craft bottled beers.

The not-for-profit venture will also have a community space for local groups to use and any money raised will go to church-supported charities.

The Victorian pub closed in 2010 to reopen a year later as a Chinese restaurant before being sold to the church in 2015.

Initially, it will be open only during the day Mondays to Saturdays but will soon trade all week from morning until mid evening.

Its reopening has created four jobs along with two apprenticeships from City College.

Money was raised from a variety of sources to buy the pub.

Many old pubs are found near churches with churchgoers originally often retreating to them following long sermons.