Former Sour Grapes pub set to be turned into a house, and major property in Morpeth's Bridge Street is sold

An application has been submitted to Northumberland County Council to turn the former Sour Grapes Wine Bar in Newgate Street into a house.

And a large building at 15 Bridge Street, which was previously used by the Brumell and Sample law firm, has been sold.

Although the new owners of the Bridge Street building have not yet revealed what they plan to do with it, the Morpeth Herald has been told the premises will no longer be used as legal offices.

The Sour Grapes, which was also a live music venue, closed six months ago.

Sue and Stewart Todd, who owned and ran the pub for the past 18 years, said they had been left with no choice following a drop in customers – largely due to more people drinking at home rather than in pubs since the pandemic – and huge increases in gas and electricity costs.

A design and access statement for the late 17th to early 18th Century two-storey terraced building at 86 Newgate Street by Carter-Smith Planning Consultants on behalf of the applicant states that the bar would become ‘one single dwelling with internal alterations and minor external alterations,’ and the proposals ‘do not detract from the historical importance of the building’.

Brumell and Sample began trading in the town in 1770. It is now known as Savage Silk Law and its Morpeth office closed at the end of April 2022, although a full range of services are still available via the Savage Silk website.

The interior of the property still retains many original character features such as carved architraves and an elegant, gently rising circular staircase, behind which is an eye-catching large domed window.

Confirmation that the building will no longer be used as a law firm office came from Andrew Lawson Estate Agents, which handled the sale.

Representative Barbara Turner added: “The new owners have not as yet disclosed their full intentions on how they propose to develop the property, but we are sure whatever they propose will be in keeping with the town’s character and any redevelopment will be sympathetically carried out.”