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NewsCoventry pub welcomes punters back in opening weekend six months after closingThe popular establishment is back open under new managementcoventrytelegraphBookmarkShareNewsByDanny

ThompsonReporter05:45, 4 JUN 2025Bookmark (Image: Aardvark)

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A historic Coventry pub has flung its doors open to customers once more - six months after closing suddenly. The Aadrvark, on the Butts shut back in January and was still boarded up as

recently as last month.

But a new management team has reopened the popular boozer, breathing a new lease of life into what was once - and hopefully will be again - a popular city drinking spot.

The Aardvark opened its doors again at 1pm on Friday (30 May). Photos from the opening weekend have been shared with CoventryLive. See the images below.

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News of the pub's reopening will be met warmly by local drinkers, particularly in light of the nearby Old Dyers Arms also re-emerging in recent days. It's good news for an area

that has struggled with the impact work from regeneration of Spon End.

Pubs such as the Black Horse and The Hamptons, also known as the Butts Retreat, have all closed in recent years, the former being demolished, the latter looking set to follow a similar path.

In recent years the Aardvark has been more associated with the university population due to its location and its branding as part of the Scream pub chain. However, its history far pre-dates

the city's status as a student area.

In pictures: Reopened Coventry pub welcomes customers once again

Opened as the Hen and Chickens in the 1830s, it changed its name to the Fowl and Firkin in the early 1990s. A 1980s landlord of the pub was named Mick Anthill and the pub assumedly

coincidentally was renamed the Aardvark at the start of the century.

Its open plan design, multiple pool tables and screens all around the pub made it popular with sport fans as well as the Coventry's student population.

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