A BRAND new inn named after the Duchess of Cornwall is being built in Poundbury.

The public house will be situated on Queen Mother Square and is a joint development between the Duchy of Cornwall and Hall & Woodhouse.

The Duchess of Cornwall is expected to open in early 2016.

The inn’s name came at the suggestion of the Prince of Wales.

Hall & Woodhouse are working closely with the Duchy of Cornwall’s architects, Quinlan & Francis Terry, to ensure that ‘The Duchess of Cornwall’ will be a fitting adornment to Queen Mother Square.

The inn will include 20 bedrooms as well as restaurant facilities and traditional public house offerings.

Anthony Woodhouse, Hall & Woodhouse’s managing director, said: “It’s a great privilege to be entrusted by the Duchy to develop this prestigious site.

“Our inn will blend with and mirror Poundbury’s architecture and His Royal Highness’s vision.

“‘The Duchess of Cornwall’ is being designed with reference to our flagship site in Bath.

“We are delighted to have received planning permission for 20 beautiful bedrooms above the bar-restaurant for visitors to stay in and use as a base to enjoy Poundbury and Dorset.

“We’ll offer a great menu, lovely coffee, tea and cakes and the full range of our Badger cask and bottled beers.

“Our aim is to provide a community facility for all occasions that both residents and visitors to Poundbury can cherish and enjoy.’

Simon Conibear, the Duchy of Cornwall’s estate director at Poundbury, said: “The Duchy of Cornwall is very pleased to be entering a joint venture with Hall & Woodhouse, a well-established Dorset Brewer with a high reputation in both brewing and hospitality.

“We have been particularly impressed with their new establishments in Bath, Portishead and Lulworth and believe they can bring the expertise we require for this important building and facility in Queen Mother Square.

“There has been growing demand for both guest rooms and another pub in Poundbury, and we think it will be popular with local businesses, residents and the thousands of people who visit Poundbury every year.”