The Space Invader pub in Goostrey, Cheshire, has completed a new mural of the Lovell Telescope just as its future is thrown into doubt by a funding cut. The pub, renamed in 2022 from the Red Lion to honour Jodrell Bank's space legacy, now features a midnight blue exterior with a giant white telescope painted on its side by a local artist known as "Mural Man."
Funding threat emerges days after mural unveiled
The mural was unveiled over the weekend, but on Monday the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) agency announced it would no longer fund the £2.8 million annual running costs from 2028. The University of Manchester, which operates the observatory, said this would end the Lovell Telescope as an active scientific instrument by March 2028 and result in 28 job losses.
The Jodrell Bank Centre for Engagement, popular for school trips, is unaffected and will remain open. The Manchester Evening News has launched a campaign to reverse the decision.
Pub manager expresses dismay
Pub operations manager Chris Jennings said: "It is such a shame as Jodrell Bank has played such an important role for the UK for such a long period and it is a local landmark here. I know the local community here will rally around as much as they can to support its future."
Jennings added: "Our beautiful pub, The Space Invader, take’s it’s very name from the pioneer behind Jodrell Bank, Sir Bernard Lovell, who constructed Jodrell Bank’s very first telescope and he is pictured above the door here. Lots of our customers work at Jodrell Bank or visit the observatory and so we decided to pay tribute to it with the mural. The decision [for the mural] was taken before the news had been announced and so it was devastating to hear that news this week. But the painting will ensure its important place in history is never forgotten."
Telescope's storied past
The Grade I-listed Lovell Telescope, standing since 1957, is the largest in the UK and the world's third largest steerable radio telescope. It was pivotal in studying distant galaxies, training astronomers, monitoring Soviet missiles during the Cold War, and earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 2019.
Inside the pub, historical pictures document the Jodrell Bank site. Jennings said the pub is considering a Spacefest music festival to raise funds. "We've got lots more ideas but want to see what the community want to do. People will want to dig in and help."
