A village pub has reopened after a £500,000 refurb after being closed for more than 18 months.

The Bay Horse in Worsthorne has welcomed people back to the bar after being bought and refurbished by Heineken-run company Star Pubs and the Hightown Pub Company Ltd owned by Chris and Jon Nevin.

The pub, which closed in December 2019, has just reopened and manager Aimee Ollerenshaw said the community has been so welcoming.

She said: “The support has been incredible. The locals have been coming in every day.

“Even when we were shut people were looking in to see when we were open.

“People really want to see the pub work because there is nothing like it around.

“It’s what the village has needed.”

New jobs have also been created with the refurbishment, with many of the people working in the pub also being residents of the village.

A fireplace has been removed and walls have been knocked down inside to increase space in the pub and the outside area has had a full refurbishment. The pub serves high quality, fresh food, including a brunch menu, with meats sourced locally, while their game pie is made in-house.

Aimee is hopeful that the pub will continue to thrive and would like for it to become a venue known for good quality pub food and a homely environment – both things which customers have already said about the pub.

During the refurbishment, Aimee, Chris and Jon were visiting the pub weekly to see how the work was progressing.

Aimee said: “We were coming in every week to see how it was going.

“It was a building site for weeks and weeks then the last couple of days it looked like a pub.

“It was amazing to watch.”

Chris added: “It’s not just about Worsthorne, the Bay Horse is there for Burnley as well.

“I’ve had pubs in Burnley for years so I know that the demand is there for a higher quality pub with good food.”