Preston's cosy underground wine bar to reopen 12 months after tragic death of owner in freak accident
A cosy basement bar in Preston will reopen 12 months after its owner tragically died in a freak accident.
Winedown in Lancaster Road shut last summer after Douglas Lowe was killed by a falling tree while driving home from visiting family in Durham on August 20, 2024.
The 57-year-old, known to friends and regulars as Doogie or Doug, was pronounced dead at the scene on the A683 at Low Haygarth near Sedbergh, Cumbria at around 6pm.
His son Will was a passenger in the BMW 320I but was uninjured in what he described as a “horrible freak accident”, when a tree collapsed during a brief pocket storm and killed his dad “instantly”.
Nearly a year after the tragedy, Will has announced that he will follow in his father’s footsteps by reopening Winedown in the coming weeks.
The 23-year-old posted a notice on the bar’s Lancaster Road entrance, announcing “Winedown is closer than ever to being back!”
Will says he plans to keep the underground bar’s cosy Mediterranean vibe, with refurbishment already underway ahead of its reopening this summer.
A new stripped-back food menu will still feature Winedown’s popular charcuterie boards, featuring a selection of local and world cheeses, as well as nacho and cheese dip pots.
Will says the new-look bar will still boast Preston’s “best selection of whiskies and wines”, with an “ever changing by-the-glass selection” and “nothing run of the mill”.
An opening date has yet to be confirmed but Will is expected to reopen Winedown in the coming weeks.