A PUB in rural Herefordshire is set to open its doors again for the first time in eight years.

After a significant refurbishment, The Swan at Letton, on the A438 Brecon Road, will welcome locals for food and drink once more, as well as tourists looking to head to Herefordshire for a break.

Local businessman Luke Conod, who owns shops in Hereford such as The School Uniform Shop and FIT Menswear, has embarked on the venture with Byron Campbell, with the pub set to open on December 3.

“Next to agriculture, tourism is one of the biggest revenue generators for the county.” Mr Conod said.

“Hotels, guest houses, B&Bs, bars, pubs, restaurants, shops and attractions all rely on visitors to the area spending money with their businesses.”

The business pair wants to encourage visitors back to the county having invested heavily in a major refurbishment of the Swan Inn at Letton.

The doors of the 17th century coaching inn are to re-open imminently after being closed for more than eight years.

“Five sumptuous furnished and decorated letting bedrooms at the Swan Inn all have their own high-end en-suite bathrooms.” Mr Conod added.

“Our guests will enjoy luxurious comfortable beds, crisp bed linen, sumptuous fabrics & furnishings and state-of-the-art lighting.”

To take advantage of the enviable views over the rolling Herefordshire countryside a large heated outdoor terrace with covered seating area for up to 100 people has been built, in addition to the relaxing bar area in the main building.

But wanting to take it one step at a time, the Swan’s 40-seater restaurant will open in the spring next year.

From Easter, several pitches will be available for guests preferring to stay in their own touring caravans, motorhomes, or tents and for these a block of luxurious facilities has been added.

He added: “We’ll be sourcing as much of the food and drinks that we serve as we possibly can from the local Herefordshire farmers, growers and suppliers right here on our doorstep and by the summer we’ll be employing up to 30 local staff, so we’ll be making a sizeable contribution to the economy of the community that we’ll be serving.”

“Plans are to re-opens on Thursday, December 3 at 6pm and we’re aiming to make the Swan Inn the favourite living room for the people living and working in the surrounding area.”

The Swan Inn is at Letton on the A438 Brecon Road between Hereford and Kington.