A village pub has been crowned the most improved in Huntingdonshire, just five months after it reopened.

The Royal Oak in Hail Weston has been recognised by CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) as the most improved rural pub in Huntingdonshire.

It received its award at Huntingdon CAMRA’s pub of the year ceremony, held at the Burgess Hall, in St Ives, last weekend.

“We are delighted that all the hard work of the volunteers and businesses in our community who helped us reopen the pub has been recognised,” said Reuben Milne, one of the pub’s directors.

“CAMRA was created to champion the role of pubs in the communities they serve and we’re proud that our local branch feels that we’ve done a good job.”

The 18th century Royal Oak pub served as a social centre of Hail Weston life for generations but was sold by the Charles Wells Pub Company in November 2011 and closed as a pub on January 1, 2012.

Following a successful campaign to protect its status as a pub, it was bought by eight villagers at the start of the year and reopened on May 19, 2017.