The Prickly Pear Case Study – AB Conduit

Introduction / Project Summary / Case Study

The Prickly Pear in Bruton was once a beloved high-street pub, The Bruton Castle, but after closing in September 2023 due to structural issues, the building’s future hung in the balance. Under new ownership, the decision was made to undertake a comprehensive renovation and modernisation, elevating the venue into a refined dining and events destination while retaining its historic character. Our role as the primary contractor encompassed the full design-build transformation: from structural repair through to interior refurbishment, integration of a new kitchen, and creation of a private dining space as a second floor extension to the former skittle alley and conservatory. The project’s dual goal was to restore and upgrade the space forb modern hospitality while preserving and enhancing its architectural identity.

The Prickly Pear sits in a Grade II listed structure Years of wear, deferred maintenance, and structural deterioration (notably roof,masonry, subsidence) meant that significant underpinning, stabilisation, and fabric repairs were necessary.
The building had to be brought up to modern safety, accessibility, and services standards without compromising its heritage. Specific urgent works included the demolition and rebuilding of the south-western gable end due to structural instability and leaning.

Operational & program constraints:

The venue needed to function as a restaurant + bar + events space, with a state-of- the-art kitchen, and a private dining room. The kitchen is installed in the footprint of the former skittle alley, which presented an unusual geometry and sub-ground level location with very limited headroom.
Above the kitchen, a vaulted, skylit private dining space was constructed, requiring a new roof with roman tiles to provide a visual match to the Bruton roofs, structural supports, and integration of contemporary glazing/partitioning and soundproofing.Balancing light, circulation, acoustic comfort, MEP, and guest flow in a compact high-street context posed coordination challenges. Noise and acoustic separation were critical concerns due to the venue's increased capacity and late licence application.

Scope of Works & Key Interventions

Structural & envelope works:
Extensive roof remediation: removing failing elements, reinforcing existing rafters, installing new structural waterproofing and insulation. The rebuilding of the upper Gable end due to significant structural issues. Masonry repointing, repair, and selective stone replacement. Removal of decayed internal partitions and services, selective reconfiguration of floor levels to balance headroom. Creation of new rooflight vaults and integration of steel frames and Green oak support for skylights.

New kitchen & service infrastructure:
Fit-out of a commercial kitchen in the former skittle alley, including extraction, HVAC, utilities distribution, drainage, back-of-house access. Reinforcement of floors and ceilings above to carry new loads, vibration isolation, and specific acoustic separation from guest areas.

Private dining second floor extension:
A vaulted skylit extension built above the kitchen, with green oak, oak siding doors, and with Crittall style doors to separate from main bars but maintain a visual connection.Careful detailing of soffits, lighting coves, and acoustic ceiling treatments to ensure comfort and ambiance. Access via stairs, integration with existing circulation, and fire / safety compliance.

Interior finishes, furnishing & fit-out:

New joinery, bars, seating, furniture, lighting, and finishes to craft a cohesive identity across public bar, dining, and private room spaces. Careful following of the designers Brief a palette chosen to evoke heritage and warmth (wood paneling, rich tones, textured surfaces) while allowing clean lines and contemporary touches.
Reuse or refurbishment of existing architectural elements where possible (Wood burner and inglenook fire) to retain patina and authenticity.
External Area Expansion (Post-Renovation Works):
Remodelling of the rear garden area. Installation of a bespoke oak pagoda in the ground floor garden to increase all- weather seating capacity.

Metric Detail

Value £2.4M

Gross Internal Area 1800 m²

Project Start Date November 2023

Completion Date October 2025

New Functional Zones:

Bar, Dining, Private Room, Kitchen, Back-of-House, Garden, Terraces

Key Materials:

Steel & timber roof frame, Crittall glazing, bespoke joinery, premium finishes

New Commercial Focus

The venue will reopen as a Mexican fusion restaurant with an expanded food-led focus. The Prickly Pear has been reimagined as a high-end dining and events venue with multiple spatial moods: a cozy bar, refined dining, and an elegant private dining room.

The formerly unused skittle alley is now a high-functioning kitchen, unlocking new operational flexibility.The private dining room above, with vaulting and natural light, provides a signature architectural moment that adds value and experiential draw.

The renovation led to a significant increase in seating capacity, supported by a revised premises license allowing extended hours for music and alcohol sales (10:00 AM daily, live music until midnight), reflecting the venue's new operational model.The project maintains respect for the building’s heritage, while equipping it for 21st- century hospitality use, successfully navigating multiple Listed Building Consent applications.

These lessons were critical for the successful execution of the complex refurbishment of a Grade II listed building under intense structural and operational constraints:

Structural Innovation to Enable Luxury Design:

Insight: Our core challenge as main contractor was executing the "clever structural redesigns" required to fit modern services and high-end aesthetics within low ceiling heights and confined areas.

For us success depended on precise load-bearing reinforcement and meticulous coordination of floor levels and duct runs before finishes went in. Risk mitigation was key in addressing the unstable gable end and required the underpinning.

Managing design Interventions:

Working within a Grade II listed structure means every design intervention had to be carefully managed to satisfy conservation standards while ensuring the design brief was met.

As the contractors we had to utilise our portfolio of specialist heritage repair methods and ensure all new elements, like the second floor extension doors and roof vaulting were built to a sympathetic yet highly engineered standard.

Service Integration (MEP & Acoustic): Upgrading the 3 Phase power supply. An further in site we gained is that In hospitality projects, the quality of the service infrastructure (MEP) determines guest comfort and operational compliance (acoustics/extraction)

To open up the ground floor space from its fragmented arrangement, we had to install over 10 tonnes of steel top pitch up the various walls to allow for the open plan effect. This led to the biggest structural challenges and the coordination of a sequence of 50 underpins to stabilise the historic perimeter walls and in turn allowed us to lower the floor levels.

Programme Management in the Face of Unknowns:

Structural repair in old buildings always introduces unknowns and further challenges As the main contractor we had to manage specialist subcontractor scheduling to handle the inevitable delays caused by listed building consent adjustments and unforeseen site conditions, ensuring materials like the bespoke sliding doors and power switch on were procured to avoid critical path delays.