A POPULAR city centre pub dating back more than 400 years will close for refurbishment later this year.

The Punch Bowl in Stonegate will shut for a fortnight for upgrades and repair work.

As part of the remodel, new lights will be installed outside the pub, a new history board will be put up and the carvings above the entrance will be gilded.

Inside the venue the bar will be extended, panels replaced and the gaming machine will be removed.

The pub is run by Nicholson’s and the planning application was submitted by Mitchells & Butlers.

A spokesman for the Punch Bowl said: “We’re excited to announce our upcoming remodel which will give the historic four century old pub a refreshed look and feel, whilst retaining its unique and traditional charm.

“The pub will close in the autumn for around two weeks whilst the refurbishment takes place.”

The pub was largely destroyed in a fire in the 1930s and then rebuilt in a ‘Brewer’s Tudor’ style, according to planning documents.

And a clapper or tongue from a bell that hung in York Minster until 1765 is used as a support in the bar.

The report also outlines carvings on the gables include vine trails, plan-draped punch bowls and lions bearing punch bowls dating back to 1675 and 1930.

It adds: “The interior layout, and fixtures and fittings, also largely date from the 1930s rebuild.

“There is, however, some 17th century structure in the rear bar area, whilst three fireplaces, on the ground floor, also pre-date the rebuild.

“The company proposes a ‘light’ refurbishment of the building, with minor changes being proposed to the front elevation, signage, some internal finishes and the bar counter and back fitting (in the front bar).

“Generally, the works will have a neutral, or minor positive, impact upon heritage significance.”

Stonegate is described as a “magnet for tourists” and “hugely significant for the city” as the street containing the largest number of surviving timber-framed houses.

It adds: “Streets such as Stonegate and Shambles have made York known internationally as a picturesque historic city worth visiting.”