A pub in Lewisham which was once boxer Henry Cooper's training base will re-open next year following a £4m makeover thanks to a Heritage Lottery Fund grant.

Phoenix Community Housing was awarded the grant in November 2014 to restore the Fellowship Inn on Randlesdown Rd in Bellingham.

The grant was confirmed in October 2016 and full planning permission was awarded by Lewisham Council in November 2016.

The plans for the restoration include the creation of a pub and microbrewery, a cinema, a theatre and comedy venue, a café, a music hub and rehearsal space.

Building work will begin this year and the new pub is expected to open in 2018.

The Fellowship Inn was built as a family facility during the construction of the Bellingham Estate in the 1920s. It once served as a training base for the heavyweight boxer Henry Cooper.

It has also hosted famous music artists, such as Fleetwood Mac and Eric Clapton, but has since fallen into substantial disrepair.

Phoenix is running three arts and heritage projects to celebrate Bellingham’s history and the area’s pub heritage.

An introductory workshop is taking place in the Green Man on Bromley Road on Tuesday, July 25, at 5.30pm. Full details can be found on Phoenix’s website: https://www.phoenixch.org.uk/events/fellowship-inn-stories-cakes.