A campaign to save the Roman Bath pub as a traditional, live music venue has attracted huge support.
More than 2,300 people have signed a petition to preserve the St Sampson’s Square pub as it is.
It comes after manager Sharon Stinson told YorkMix that owners the Stonegate Group wanted to turn it into a sports bar, and ditch the live music which is so popular at weekends.
However, a spokesperson for Stonegate has today told us that they want to invest heavily to ‘enhance the overall offer’ and keep live music at the venue.
Sharon, who has managed the Roman Bath for five years, has launched the Save The Roman Bath petition on Change.org.
She writes: “The Roman Bath House in the heart of York has been open to its patrons for over 30 years.
“The establishment has served as a lively, community orientated hub for the night life scene and a social centre for many locals. It is with a heavy heart that we are now in a position where the lease is due to expire and will be transformed into (yet another) sports bar.
“In a city that prides itself on the preservation of history and culture, the Roman Bath House will undoubtedly be stripped of its unique character, current staff will lose their jobs, and potentially, public access to the underground museum (with significant archaeological importance).”
Many people have been commenting on our original story. “What an absolute travesty, it’s a great pub,” one wrote.
“I always go in there when I go out on a weekend as it’s a proper pub with a great atmosphere, great music & great staff. if this goes ahead I won’t be going in anymore.”
Another said: “What a disgraceful decision. Probably made by people who have never seen how much the pub brings to the culture of York.
“I did my first pub gig in town here, probably like so many other musicians from the area.”
The pub group responds
We originally contacted the Stonegate Group last Tuesday to ask about the changes.
After we ran our story yesterday, they came back to explain their plans.
The owners of the Roman Bath said in a statement: “We are excited to invest six-figures in the future of the Roman Bath in York, ensuring the pub can continue to thrive in the centre of the York community for many years to come.
“The transition to Craft Union, a community-focused pub company, marks the start of an exciting new chapter for the historical pub.
“We understand the importance of paying homage to the pub’s incredible roman history that will continue to be available for all to see.
“Rest assured, the goal of the investment is to enhance the overall offer, while keeping the historical roman features intact that makes this pub so special.
“The transition to Craft Union in 2025 will also mean the pub’s famous local live music scene will be continuing to thrive with a brand-new state-of-the-art audio-visual system set to be installed as part of our commitment to the future of the Roman Bath.”