Popular student pub becomes city's latest to close

A well-known pub in Coventry, familiar to generations of students in the city along with many residents, is to close.

The Phoenix's licensee posted on social media that the doors will shut for the final time on 6 September, two years they took on the venue.

Previously known as The Colin Campbell - or the Campbell as it was known to regulars - the pub has been a popular establishment with students over the years, due its closeness to the city's university.

The statement added: "Coventry is losing a piece of history, and that's what really hurts in all of this."

The Phoenix is owned by Stonegate Group, one of the largest pub companies in the UK, and is the latest of their properties in Coventry to close in recent weeks.

The Town Wall Tavern and the Aardvark both shut their doors in earlier this year, with the owners suggesting both would reopen under new management in the future, although no date has been set for either.

Earlier this year, the British Beer and Pub Association said about two British pubs closed a day in the first quarter of 2026.

Pubs were told in July they would get a a 20% cut to business rates from April, with new Prime Minister Andy Burnham calling it a "first step" to help the industry.

The Phoenix originally opened in 1720 as the Parrot and Griffin, before changing its name to Sir Colin Campbell in 1868, in honour of Field Marshal Sir Colin Campbell, a soldier who fought under the Duke of Wellington during the Napoleonic Wars and then during the Indian Mutiny.

The name was shortened to The Campbell in the early 2000s, before the pub closed and reopened as the Phoenix.

The social media statement, attributed to manager Dom Woolley and the staff, said:"It's been very emotional news but we really want to end on a high, welcome you all in to enjoy the last few weeks of The Phoenix and give the pub the send off it really deserves.

"I know for many of you, it runs much deeper and further than simply The Phoenix. The Colin Campbell has a deep-rooted history in Coventry and throughout its evolution we've all shared the same passion and love for the pub at one time or another."

The BBC has approached Stonegate for a statement.

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