A DURHAM landmark is due to start its new life as a riverside nightspot in the spring.

Brown's Boathouse, on the banks of the River Wear near Elvet Bridge, will open in March as Chase.

It has taken nine months to convert the 19th Century building, with long links to the city's rowing tradition, into a £3m cafe bar with capacity for 600 people.

Ultimate Leisure, of Newcastle, had hoped to have the venue open for Christmas.

The original plan was to demolish it and replace it with a large, glass-fronted pub, an idea which was strongly opposed by residents and the City of Durham Trust.

The firm was refused planning permission but won an appeal.

But the scheme had to be scaled down and redesigned to incorporate the existing building because redevelopment risked damaging the city's nearby main water.

In the past year, new pubs have included the Australian theme bar Walkabout and J D Wetherspoon's Water House, both in North Road, the Varsity, in Saddler Street, Age, in Claypath, and Passenger, in the city's old police station.