The parrot may have fallen off the sign but The Patch is well and truly back!

A historic Bideford pub is enjoying a new lease of life after years of closure and an extensive renovation.

The former Patch & Parrot in Cooper Street has been restored by new owner Alasdair Gould – known locally as Ali – and is now The Patch Wine Bar & Kitchen.

Polly may be gone, but Ali didn’t really see the point in giving the premises ‘some fancy new name’, as everyone knew it as The Patch.

Above: The new bar downstairs at The Patch Wine Bar & Kitchen. Credit: Ray Smith

The pub was closed in 2018 and was eventually sold at auction three years ago, but no redevelopment took place and it returned to auction, when Ali bought it.

His aim was to create somewhere in Bideford where people could enjoy a relaxed glass of wine and a meal.

Above: Inside the restored Upper Rest at The Patch. Credit: Ray Smith

The extensive renovation revealed some interesting elements including ancient timber beams and Ali has kept much of the original features including windows, curved seating and the tiled floor in the main bar.

Above: And the Upper Rest before restoration, with the ceiling all but collapsed. Credit: Ray Smith

Inside, The Patch features several different spaces, creating a series of intimate rooms.

Upstairs is a function room and three letting suites, which are currently being completed and will operate as guest accommodation.

Food at The Patch includes rotisserie chicken and a selection of traditional pies, made from an original recipe created by Ali.

Ali said: “Bideford has loads of good pubs where you can go for a pint, but there are very few places where you can take your wife for a glass of wine and a nice meal.

“We’ve been careful not to turn it into a shots-and-silly-things place. It’s naturally become more of an over-30s, over-40s venue and we’ve had a really nice clientele.”

Video - The Patch then and now:

The renovation showed just how badly the building had decayed after being closed for many years.

Ali added: “When we started opening things up, some of the ceilings had been shut for decades and half of one ceiling was already on the floor.

“Once we started digging into the floors we found some of the joists had completely rotted away because the roof had been leaking for so long.”

In one upstairs room, he said the floor structure had deteriorated so badly that the floorboards were effectively holding the room together.

Above: Some of the old floors inside the former Patch & Parrot had all but disintegrated. Credit: Ray Smith

He went on: “When we lifted the boards the joists going into the front wall were basically gone, someone could easily have fallen through.”

READ NEXT: New Barnstaple pub to open in former Spoons following major transformation

During the renovation, ceilings that had hidden the structure for decades were removed, revealing large timber beams which were sanded and restored.

Some visitors believe the beams may even have come from ships, reflecting Bideford’s long maritime history, although Ali says that remains speculation.

The old tiled floor in the bar stayed too. Ali said: “This floor was lovely. It might have looked a bit of a mess when we started but it’s original and it’s been here forever, so there was no point changing it.”

Above and below: The Patch still retains much of its original features but has been transformed following extensive restoration. Credit: Ray Smith 

Describing the venue as ‘a warren’ he said: “You’ve got the garden, upstairs rooms and lots of little spaces where people feel like they’ve discovered somewhere special.”

Reflecting on renovating, he also offered advice to homeowners and investors considering their own property renovation: “You’ve got to love it. With old buildings you have to see through to the potential - through the delays, the challenges and the things you don’t expect along the way. There’s always something hidden and it always costs more than you think.

“This place is a bit like the TARDIS - it’s much bigger than it looks from the outside.”

Above: The venue is described as 'like the TARDIS'. Credit: Ray Smith