A full refurbishment is underway at one of Barrow's oldest pubs.

The Dirty Duck pub dates back 168 years and was bought at auction in June of this year.

The property on Raglan Street was snapped up by Joe Elliot, who is the owner of Furness Tiles and Flooring on Park Road Industrial Estate.

The Barrow business owner previously told The Mail that as a resident who lived nearby he did not want the pub to be turned into flats and was looking for a ‘side project’.

The Mail: Joe Elliot at the Dirty Duck

A spokeperson for Furness Tiles and Flooring said: "A full refurbishment is currently underway. This includes stripping everything out along with the grounding.

"We're working on all of the brickwork, all of the tiling, and we're currently just waiting on planning permission for further works."

The pub is thought to date back at least as far as 1885. The building houses a bar, lounge and games area, three bedrooms, a kitchen, lounge and bathroom and became vacant in 2019 when the owners retired.

That year, the pub was put up for sale through estate agents Corrie & Co who marketed it for £150,000.

David Corrie, of Corrie & Co, told the Mail at the time: "I went to value it at 11am and there was a queue of people at the door waiting for it to open.

"It’s an iconic pub in Barrow - it just needs someone to put it on the map."

The Mail: The former Dirty Duck pub

Joe's vision for the property is for it to be a traditional-looking pub and he wants to reinstate a lot of the old oak and fitments.

He has experience as a glass collector and stated at the time of the purchase that he has always wanted to own his own pub. Joe also wanted to try and use local brewers where he could. 

An opening date hasn't yet been confirmed, however, a timeframe of by Christmas was pencilled in.