Pub operators Punch Taverns and Enterprise Inns are planning to splash out hundreds of thousands of pounds on refurbishing some of the town’s best-known pubs.

Punch has big plans for White Hart, Denby Dale, Stag Inn, Wakefield Road, Dalton, and Shakespeare, Marsden.

It says some are available to let with new tenancy or lease agreements.

The company is planning a combined spend of £440,000 on refurbishing these pubs with new tenants and are currently at the design stage with them.

In addition the historic Beaumont Arms, an 18th century village inn in Kirkheaton, has recently been let to a new tenant and is just about to go on site with a £220,000 refurbishment.

The company says it has 18 pubs in the Huddersfield area and none are on the market for freehold sale.

A Punch Taverns spokesman said: “The UK pub market is definitely picking up, and we are really pleased that in the last two years we will have spent £1 million pounds on the refurbishment of pubs in the Huddersfield area.

“This not only builds quality pubs for customers but also creates and protects jobs in this important sector of the UK economy.”

Other well-known pubs being advertised on Punch’s website include the ivy-clad Farmers Arms, Holmfirth, and Walkers Arms, Golcar, which comes complete with its own cricket field.

Enterprise say two pubs, the Bay Horse at Lindley and Coach & Horses, Linthwaite, can look forward to a planned investment of £100,000 for the right publican.

Pubs to be re-fitted - The Bay Horse, Lindley.

Other pubs currently available on a tenancy agreement are: Shepherd’s Arms, Cowcliffe, Nightingale, Lindley, and Ivy Green, Huddersfield.

The Sands House Inn, Crosland Hill, is being advertised on a lease agreement while the Old Hatte, by Huddersfield Bus Station, The Grove, Dalton and The Clough House, Rastrick are also being advertised under a variety of Enterprise’s schemes.

Les Saunders, who left Clough House last month, after less than a year running the pub with his partner Cath Kenyon, said on his last night there that it was impossible to make it pay and he had had to dip into his own savings to make ends meet.

Pubs being advertised for sale include The Ship, Paddock, at £225,000 – Paddock’s last remaining pub – and The Queen, Manchester Road, Huddersfield, at £195,000. The Zetland, opposite the university is also up for sale.

Julie Beaumont and John Cockram took on The Ship on December 19 last year but only on a year’s lease.

The pub economy employs hundreds of thousands of people across the country but the industry has faced a turbulent time in recent years with the smoking ban and the much cheaper cost of alcohol in supermarkets often cited as two of the reasons for the decline.

Dozens of pubs close every week and many pubs in the area no longer exist. These are a few of the best known landmarks which are no more: Grey Horse, Birchencliffe – now demolished and set to be a Tesco supermarket, The Gallery, Huddersfield town centre – demolished for Sainsbury’s store, The Horseshoe, Birkby – now an Asian eaterie, The Marsh House – a cafe, the Terrace, Birkby – turned into Asian supermarket and The Royal Hotel, Kirkburton – set to become Co-op store.