THE doors to a Durham landmark were thrown open to members of the public at the weekend for a last time before demolition workers move in to raze it to the ground.

Brown's Boathouse at Elvet Bridge will soon make way for a new 1,000-capacity pub.

The controversial plans by Leftbank Developments to build the £3m glass-fronted nightspot were given approval by a planning inspector last month.

The scheme, which will do away with a building linked to the city's rowing heritage, was strongly opposed by City of Durham Trust at a public inquiry last year.

It said the boathouse was an important component of the conservation area and lighting from the pub would interfere with floodlighting of the cathedral and castle.

But Clive Hole, who threw open the doors of the boathouse to the public doors at the weekend so that people could have a last look around, said he had no regrets in selling the property to the developers.

He said: "I believe that a lot of young people will gain a lot of enjoyment from what will replace it."

Mr Hole plans to remove the interior of the historic dining room to set it up in a museum nearby.

The developers will take possession of the site on March 23