Historic building on the DMU campus given new lease of life as the Castle Inn

DSU and DMU cut the ribbon on a new micro-pub in one of the most historic areas of Leicester on Thursday.

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De Montfort Students’ Union (DSU) and De Montfort University (DMU) cut the ribbon on a new micro-pub in one of the most historic areas of Leicester on Thursday.

The Castle Inn, located on Castle View next to Leicester Castle Business School, sits within the walls of the former Leicester Castle.

The building is close to the Turret Gateway – built in 1422 – and next to 12 Castle View which itself was a pub dating back hundreds of years.

After investment from the university, the space will now be used as a micro-pub open to staff, students and private guests – breathing new life into the building last used as an antique shop in the 1990s.

The service will be run by the students’ union on behalf of the university and is open from 12pm to 2pm and 5pm to 11pm on weekdays, 12pm to 3pm and 5pm to 11pm on Saturdays, and between 12pm and 3pm on Sundays.

The joint venture between DSU and the university sits opposite the Church of St Mary de Castro in the grounds of the former Leicester Castle.

Professor Dominic Shellard, Vice-Chancellor of DMU, was present on Thursday evening to officially open the renovated building.

He said: “This area of the city has such a rich heritage that to be able to restore a building like this for a new generation to enjoy is both a genuine pleasure and an important moment in the regeneration of an area that was once the heart of historic Leicester.

“There can’t be many campus pubs in the country like this and it fits well with the blend of creative modern and strong historical architecture that has become a hallmark of our recent transformation of the DMU campus.”

The pub will also offer its own beer – Castle Inn Pale Ale – produced by Framework Brewery, Leicester’s first craft brewery and the only micro-brewery located in the city centre.

The renovated building was opened on Thursday by (L-R) Michael Kapur, Lord-Lieutenant for Leicestershire, Professor Dominic Shellard, Vice-Chancellor of DMU, and George Oliver, Editor of Leicestershire Live.

Joe Stephenson, Commercial Manager at DSU, explained: “We have been really excited about running this project alongside DMU since conversations first began some time ago.

“The idea of running a micro-pub on campus has helped to create a real buzz for our commercial team, especially among our student staff.

“We will be using the Castle Inn to support local businesses and promote sustainability by being plastic-free.

“One of these businesses, Framework Brewery, have brewed us our own ale which people have sampled this evening along with a selection of other Framework brews.

“With being open every day of the week we are hoping that students and staff alike will find the Inn a great social space for a host of activities for many years to come.”

Further student staff opportunities for the Castle Inn and our other students’ union venues will be released in due course.

The Castle Inn is open to staff and students at DMU as well as their invited guests.