A WINCHESTER pub near the train station has reopened with new owners and management after a closure which lasted 15 months.

The Albion,  on the junction of Stockbridge Road, Andover Road and City Road, has been taken over by award-winning Downton brewery Hop Back, which has given the building a "facelift".

The building's outside walls and doors were repainted during a period of renovation which lasted several months.

READ MORE: Winchester city pub The Albion set to reopen after year-long closure

The Albion's new bar manager, Josh Lea (Image: Sebastian Haw) Bar manager Josh Lea, originally from Swindon, told The Chronicle the pub had opened its doors to customers yesterday, November 18.

He said: "We want to keep it very much a real ale kind of pub, but for everyone. It's had a bit of a facelift on the outside, but we still want to keep it traditional. There's no real food offering [but] we've got pickled eggs, pork pies and a good atmosphere.

He added: "It looks really fresh, doesn't it?"

Hop Back was founded in 1987 and currently operates nine pubs across the region, starting with the Wyndham Arms in Salisbury.

The CAMRA Good Beer Guide said in 2021 of The Albion: “A stone’s throw from Winchester railway station, this cosy L-shaped street-corner pub is a traditional straightforward drinking venue, serving three or four quality Flower Pots beers on draught – three regular and one seasonal/guest.”

The pub closed in August last year when owners Paul Tickner and Jo Bartlett, who bought the freehold in 2015, put the pub up for sale. Landlord Simon Burrell had been there for some eight years.

The property, including a cellar and bedrooms over three floors, was marketed with a guide price of £450,000.

SEE ALSO: Winchester city pub The Albion remains closed, despite re-opening plan

Speaking to The Chronicle in 2023, Mr Burrell, 65, from Bishopstoke, said: “I’ve had a couple of health issues which made me think it was time to go. I want to go out and do things while I’m still healthy.

“The owners want to diversify the pub and fully retire. The original plan was for the pub to be open again by September but I think that might slip. There’s been plenty of interest and people coming into have a look but there’s been no firm offers as far as I’m aware but that’s not my business.

“I’m feeling quite mixed. It’s been a little bit of a love-hate relationship here. We’ve built up a good customer base and it’s very sad for them that we’re closed."