THE ballroom of one of Derbyshire's oldest coaching inns has seen daylight for the first time in 40 years – after being restored as part of a £1 million project.
A major refurbishment is being carried out at the Old Bell Hotel, in Sadler Gate, Derby.
And entrepreneur Paul Hurst, who is overseeing the restoration, said visitors to the room had been amazed by the work.
He said: "When we first took over, the ballroom was pretty derelict and smashed up.
"Two glass domes on the ceiling of the ballroom had been covered up. They were smashed and had been painted over.
"After 40 years, we finally unveiled them. Now all we hear from people is 'Wow, wow, wow'. They cannot believe how great it looks."
Mr Hurst embarked on the restoration of the building, which dates back to about 1680, last year.
When he took over the venue, which had been last used as a nightclub, it had fallen into a dilapidated state, filled with tonnes of rubbish and infested with pigeons.
So far, the Tudor Bar has been restored and another area has been turned into a tearoom.
Mr Hurst said the ballroom had been the latest project and had taken about six months to complete.
He said: "It was a real mess after being abandoned for the best part of a year. It had squatters in it, too.
"It's taken us a long time to get the glass domes on the ceiling back to how they were hundreds of years ago but, with the help of Derby City Council and English Heritage, we have had them restored.
"The ballroom had been used for gigs and discos, so there was no natural light in there.
"We've had great feedback from people about the work. It's so rewarding to hear that after so many months of hard work."
Mr Hurst said the ballroom had been used as part of Derby Folk Festival, as a venue to host performers.
He said: "It was amazing to see people in the ballroom and to see it open again.
"There were about 300 people in there and the atmosphere was phenomenal.
"We've been inundated with bookings for weddings and conferences to be held in the ballroom.
"Years ago, the Old Bell Hotel was a community hub, a central place for people to go. We really want that once again and to make it available for everybody to use."
The next stage will involve revamping the frontage, with the help of the City Centre Grant Scheme, jointly funded by the council and English Heritage.
Mr Hurst added: "The next project is to open up the whole ground floor. There are 68 window casements which have had to be taken out and be restored.
"All the lead in them had been destroyed.
"We're then hoping to complete the front of the building.
"This is an important building, which a lot of people know a lot about.
"We want to make sure that it is kept that way."
