A POPULAR beer hall has won a prestigious design award.

Bowland Beer Hall, in Clitheroe, took home the ‘conversion to pub use’ award after it converted from a former textile mill by architect Charles Stanton.

It now boasts the longest bar in Britain and is the centrepiece of a larger regeneration scheme, which already includes an impressive food hall showcasing regional produce.

The award is part of CAMRA’s Pub Design Awards.

A presentation will take place at the beer hall, part of Holmes Mill, on March 22 at 2pm to congratulate the beer hall, who are the only winner outside London.

Jason Menzies, cellar manager at Bowland Beer Hall, said winning the award was ‘absolutely fantastic news’.

He said: “I remember the site when it was a derelict old mill that needed life and in the space of 18 months, they’ve turned it not only into the hottest venue in Clitheroe and the Ribble Valley, but also East Lancashire.

“It’s amazing the amount of work that went into it.

“This bar is one of the busiest in Clitheroe which is great for tourism.

“So I’m over the moon about the beer hall winning this award. It’s absolutely fantastic news.”

Sean Murphy, CAMRA’s Pub Design Awards coordinator said: “Our 2017 winners celebrate an enormously wide variety of building styles and contexts - from a modern new build to a historic high street landmark, from a textile mill conversion to a Victorian restoration.

“The sheer diversity of these winners, and their evident commercial success, shows just how vibrant a pub can be – and what an agent of regeneration it can provide – if treated with respect and sensitivity for both building and clientele.”

The Pub Design Awards of 2017 aimed to find the most stunningly designed pubs in the UK.

The awards, held in association with Historic England, recognise high standards of architecture in the refurbishment and the conservation of existing pubs.