Plans to install a pub at the former M&Co. shop in central Marlow have generated controversy ever since they were first mapped out in March 2022, with some happy to have a more reasonably priced drink spot in the town and others suggesting it will “no longer be posh” once tainted by the chain’s cheap drinks and pub grub.

More than two years in the making, the venue will open its doors to supporters and naysayers alike on Tuesday, September 24 – and is hoping to win critics over with an extensive refurbishment totalling £3.5 million.

Wetherspoon has further aimed to ingratiate itself with locals through its name – settling, after several iterations, on The Grand Assembly, in tribute to the assemblies held by the upper social classes in the adjoining Market House building during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Local environmental groups Wild Marlow and the Bisham Nest Box Group have also been recruited to install bird boxes in the new terraced beer garden, appealing to the strong eco-friendly ethos of the area while also helping to sustain endangered wildlife.  

The pub is set to tie together the much-loved aspects of its UK-wide presence – wide-ranging drinks menus and straightforward, low-priced food – with nods to the history of its new site.

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As well as taking inspiration from Victorian-era gin palaces, it will pay homage to the building’s former use as Batting & Son’s Ironmongers between the 1820s and 1960s and take advantage of Marlow’s link to Frankenstein author Mary Shelley, who wrote the famous novel from a house on the River Thames in 1817.

Another crucial part of the town’s appeal is, of course, its adjoining waterway, and the new pub will include design elements linked to the area’s “rich rowing heritage” as well as the crucial industrial role it played during the 19th century.

Such parts of Marlow’s history will be dispersed throughout The Grand Assembly, including depictions of local scenes and characters and pieces commissioned by resident artists.

New manager Rachel Turner, who has previously worked as an area manager for the chain, said she was looking forward to welcoming customers to the site later this month – adding that she is “confident the pub will be a great addition to Marlow’s social scene”.

From September 24 onwards, it will be open between 8am and midnight from Sunday to Thursday, with alcohol served until 11:30pm, and from 8am to 1am on Fridays and Saturdays, with alcohol served until 12:30am.

Food will be served until 11pm everyday, with family dining until 10pm.