Woodman Inn, Burnley

The Woodman Inn is a beautifully appointed pub on the busy Todmorden road roughly a mile from Burnley town centre. This large historic pub has retained many of its original features and a visit is like stepping back in time. The pub is located in the Burnley wood area of Burnley, and is situated around a 10minute walk away from Burnley Football Club. There are plenty of homes nearby in this vibrant community and the pubs prominent location on the corner of Todmorden road and Oxford road provides plenty of passing trade. The Woodman Inn is well-known as being a quality establishment offering great beer and a fantastic traditional food offer. It’s a safe space for the older generation, hosting book clubs, political societies etc but also accommodating the younger generation, providing televised sport, karaoke nights to name a few things and there are plenty of rooms in the pub where these different groups can coexist.

Pub Layout

The Woodman Inn is an impressive stone-built building with a welcoming main entrance. This main entrance on Oxford Road faces up the busy Todmorden road and cannot be missed when driving into Burnley. Upon entering the pub customers enter into a small portico before being welcomed into the main trading area. The historically stunning saloon bar runs along the left-hand side complete with original arched woodwork and truly is a site to behold.

Before reaching the bar there is a lounge to the left-hand side which is well used by societies, clubs and customers at the weekend as well as having a darts throw for customers and teams to enjoy. The pool room is situated to the right and is also well used by teams and the younger generation, particularly at weekends. Both rooms have fixed seating around all sides, are nicely decorated and provide plenty of space away from the main trading area.

Opposite the bar in the main room there is plenty of covers and space for customers to enjoy the great drinks and traditional pub fayre which the pub is well known for. It is delightfully decorated and harks back to an era of Victorian decadence. The open fires, high ceilings and traditional décor make it a great place to pass away the hours with family and friends.

Along this corridor can also be found a separate dining area which is used to hold special dining events and functions including christenings, birthday parties, funeral wakes and training workshops. Again, it’s wonderfully decorated and is reminiscent of a traditional hotel tearoom.

Past the stairs to the living accommodation there is an external courtyard which would have originally been the hotel’s stable yard. Whilst this is need of renovation, in the Summer months it could provide a great space for customers wanting to soak up the rays in their own secret garden.

The large catering kitchen is situated to the back of the pub and provides all the equipment and space required to provide a quality substantial food offer.

The Woodman Inn offers a fantastic range of standard and continental lagers, ciders and traditional ales. There are two hand-pulls to complement the bar line up, dispensing local and national cask ales. The back bar offers a traditional spirits range, along with an ever-growing selection of whisky’s, gins and rums, party shots and spirits. The pub has a loyal tea-time trade and at weekends the customers flock to watch live football and stay into the evening before heading into town to the late pubs and bars. The pub also benefits from drawing in away fans heading to watch their team play Burnley. Most home matches bring in some away fans heading off to Turf Moor and with plenty of roadside parking available the occasional coach load turn up providing a busy early Saturday afternoon trading session.

Well known for its quality traditional food offer the pub is particularly busy on Sundays when hungry customers gather at the pub for a hearty Sunday roast. Traditional fayre is also available throughout the week, but this could be further developed with themed nights such as steak nights, curry nights and more. Functions such as christenings and birthday parties help increase sales and if well marketed and promoted, this back room could become a more significant and well used asset of the business.

There’s always plenty going on at the Woodman Inn, with karaoke nights, televised sport, the occasional band, dart and pool teams, and a weekly quiz night as well as hosting a book club and political society. It is well loved by the older generation for whom the Woodman is the heart of the community.

Private Accommodation

The private accommodation is extensive, consisting of three large bedrooms, a living room, kitchen and bathroom.

Annual Rent: £8,000 – £100 (net) per week for 12 weeks

Security Deposit: £2,500

Working Capital: £3,000

Stock: £3,000

Fixtures and Fittings: Upon Valuation  – funding options available for the right licensee.

Tie:        All drinks categories are tied.  For fully funded licensees on long term agreements, we offer free-of-tie options for certain drinks categories in exchange for an annual fee.

Training: £325 plus VAT

For a breakdown on financial information, please refer to the ‘Additional Info’ tab.

There is a huge opportunity to build upon the existing trade and loyalty of the local community. The Woodman is the best-looking pub in the area with lots of potential and with the right licensee injecting life and energy into the business trade could improve significantly. The proposed licensee needs to have a good knowledge of the local area, competition and ideally be known to local ‘movers and shakers’ and to inject energy back in to the Woodman Inn. An enthusiasm for sport and music is desirable as these will be the key drivers of footfall moving forward. Food will form an important part of the Woodman’s appeal and therefore they will need to be comfortable with, and enthusiastic about developing a food offer and promoting this effectively. It can be a rowdy area so the proposed tenant will need to be confident they can control any unruly behaviour. They will need plenty of drive and ambition to turn the business around and to realise the potential the pub clearly provides.

A significant investment would be considered with the right operator, providing a clear and well thought out retail offer supported by a strong business plan.

Annual Rent – This is our lowest rent figure associated with a Full Tie.  If the tie is reduced the effective rent (via Tie Release Fees) will increase.  Rent is billed and paid for weekly in advance depending on the payment terms agreed). On occasion, our Business Development Manager will discuss a start up rent which is discretionary to an individual pub and can be discussed.

Security Deposit – This sum of money will be held on your account and will be returned to you on exiting of the pub based on your final account balance and the condition of the property.  Our standard deposit is 25% of the headline rent.  On occasion, we can negotiate a lower security deposit with the aim to build up to our full deposit on a long term agreement.

Working Capital – This is a recommend amount required which will be used in the day-to-day running of the business.

Stock – This will be valued by an independent valuer on the day you take over the pub. This includes unbranded glassware, unopened bottles, wines, spirits, any unopened / opened kegs and cask ale providing the container is unopened.

Fixtures & Fittings – This includes any item that is bolted to the floor or walls, and a fitting to be any item that is free standing or hung by a nail or hook. This will also include furniture.

Tie: All drinks categories are tied.  For fully funded licensees on long term agreements, we offer free-of-tie options for certain drinks categories in exchange for an annual fee.

Training – Before signing a long term agreement, you will be required to attend our 7 Steps to Sales Success training programme.  Held online over three days, you will learn marketing and business strategies that will help you to grow sales in your pub – step-by-step.

Service Charge Cost – £60.89 per week – The Admiral Taverns Premium Maintenance Package will help take care of your compliance and statutory obligations with one simple fee, whilst giving you piece of mind about your boiler and cellar cooling repair and replacement.  This also includes full access to e-learning for you and your staff.

*Zero Business Rates – Based on the April 2023 rating list, the Nil Rates Payable is based on small business rates relief being applied and the licensee only occupying one property for commercial purposes.  Please note, this only applies to pubs marked with an Asterix *