A unique period of Carlisle’s past is to be brought alive in a £330,000 refurbishment of a city pub.

The Howard Arms on Lowther Street will commemorate the period when Carlisle’s pubs were brought into state management and everything from the furniture to the menu will have a 1920s feel.

Work on the pub is being undertaken by Heineken-owned Star Pubs & Bars and local licensee Dianne Irving.

Punters are invited to a drink the bar dry event tomorrow (Sunday) and work will start on Monday. The pub is expected to reopen in late June.

The idea is the brainchild of Dianne, who also runs The Crown at Stanwix and The White Mare at Beckermet.

Prior to becoming a licensee, Dianne was a primary school and head teacher in Carlisle for 26 years and used to teach her pupils about state management. Dianne said: “It’s a fascinating part of Carlisle’s history. The Howard Arms is one of the city’s last traditional pubs and when it became available I thought it would be fun to recreate the state management days in the pub.”

Work will sympathetically restore and renovate the Grade-II listed building, retaining original features such as the distinctive green tiles and the cosy layout with its nooks and crannies, snug and wooden pillars.

New toilets will be installed and the kitchen moved to the first floor to create more space for customers downstairs.

The rear courtyard has not been forgotten either and will be the given the look of a drayman’s yard, as well as new furniture and covers and lighting for year-round use.

Dianne has been extensively researching the state management era to create an authentic experience.

Stepping into The Howard Arms will be like stepping back into the early days of state managed pubs; the furniture will be 1920’s, state management bric a brac and memorabilia will be used throughout and staff will wear collarless shirts, braces and flat caps.

The Howard Arms’ menu will also offer a flavour of the past with traditional home cooked British food.

Dianne said: “It will be the food your granny would have made in the old days – dishes like spam fritters, mince and dumplings, game pie and rabbit stew followed by homely desserts such as rice pudding and treacle sponge.”

Dianne is looking for a state management beer to feature alongside The Howard Arms popular cask ale selection and, in a nod to 21st century tastes, is extending the drinks range to include a great choice of craft beers, spirits and wines.

The pub’s activities and entertainment will have a 1920s feel too, with bar games such as cribbage and skittles, a piano for sing-alongs and quoits and Aunt Sally in the garden.

Dianne said: “The Howard Arms is an iconic Carlisle pub, which lots of local people hold dear to their hearts. I want to make is somewhere that young and old and residents and visitors a like all enjoy and that caters for all occasions. We’re taking it back to the 1920s but we’re also including modern ‘essentials’ like Prosecco and barista-quality coffee.”

Gary Corney, Star Pubs & Bars operations director, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Dianne on such an exciting project. Dianne’s vision will not only make for a great pub but a brilliant celebration of Carlisle’s history. There’s nothing like it in the city, it will be a fantastic addition.

“Carlisle is a regional centre, with lots to offer residents and visitors and we’re pleased to be investing £550,000 in the city’s pubs this year as part of our nationwide £50 million pub investment programme.”