Tamworth’s former Locomotive Hotel set to be steered in new direction

One of Tamworth’s longest standing and most historic worker’s pubs may have poured its last beer, with the Locomotive Hotel on the market and drawing interest from developers.

The Locomotive hasn’t welcomed a patron for some time, after the owner closed it down to focus on his other hospitality interests and placed the property on the market.

But having not found a buyer in 2017, it has now been re-listed for sale, with the potential for a buyer to transform it for other uses.

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The two-storey brick pub was established at the Belmore St site in the 1870s but is not heritage listed, paving the way for a number of potential options, with the site zoned as ‘general industrial’ and spanning more than 2600sqm.

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The building has 1172sqm of floor space, including function rooms, commercial kitchen, guest accommodation and a wraparound deck on the upper level.

While the old pub could still be reinvigorated as a local watering hole, PRD Nationwide agent Samantha Keogh says much of the early interest in the property has been from developers who see potential in the site’s size and position.

“We’ve had some initial interest, mainly for the land size – it’s about 2600sqm and it’s in quite a good area of Tamworth, with quite a busy thoroughfare going past it,” Keogh says.

Much of the pub’s former equipment and decor remains.

“We’re not quite sure what they’re planning on doing with it yet, but they’ve mainly been looking at it for the size of the block.”

Keogh says the site’s three potential access points are also proving to be a major selling point, with its zoning allowing for uses such as freight transport facilities, landscaping, hardware and building supplies, neighbourhood shops or a warehouse distribution centre.

The property’s liquor licence was sold previously, however new owners could apply for a new one, and much of the pub’s old furniture and equipment remains in the property.

The building could be reinvigorated as a pub again, with much of its old equipment still on site.

“It’s just the building for sale now, the liquor licence has been sold,” Keogh says.

“It possibly won’t be used as a pub again. There are now a few (pubs) around it that are on the main street, so there’s a lot of direct competition.”

The former Locomotive Hotel is currently for sale through expressions of interest.