A village pub in Longparish has reopened for business almost six years after it closed its doors – and 300 years after it was first founded.

The Plough Inn has a remodelled bar, new lighting, smart new interiors and a striking and welcoming exterior while upstairs there will be soon be a smart new private dining/function room.

Over the last few months there has been a huge effort by dozens of volunteers and professional trades people, both inside and out, to transform this famous old pub.

The Plough Inn began trading in 1721 but in 2015 it closed and was sold by the brewery that owned it. However, in February this year, following a long campaign to save it from the developers, the pub was bought by the village.

A series of grants and donations and a community share scheme which brought together 240 donors from Longparish and further afield, has funded the pub’s major refurbishment.

The new landlord Steve Howard said the reactions from customers have been really positive.

“We’ve been so well supported by locals and visitors to the village. It has been fantastic to see the pub full of people and full of atmosphere. To start with we’re just serving drinks but we’re looking forward to offering good quality, tasty pub fayre once the new kitchen is completed, in the next few weeks.”

Andy Jolliffe, who heads the committee that spearheaded the rescue and refurbishment of this village landmark, said: “After months of really hard work, and years of campaigning to save The Plough, it’s great to see it filled with people again.

“None of this would have been possible without our amazing volunteers and our skilled and dedicated team of tradespeople, who have all poured so much blood, sweat and tears into this project. It feels so good to see it come to fruition and to know that we have all brought The Plough back to life.”

The Plough Inn at Longparish is open for drinks from Monday to Thursday (5pm to 10.30pm); Friday and Saturday (11am to 11pm) and Sunday (12 noon to 10.30pm).