A COUNTRY pub in Bromsgrove has reopened after undergoing a stunning makeover during the coronavirus lockdown.

The Navigation Inn, in Stoke Prior, has had its outdoor space completely renovated, with the size of its garden doubled.

The work has come via joint investment from pub chain Punch with publicans Geoff Lee, Iain Harling and Craig Knight remaining in partnership at the helm.

The pub's garden has been totally re-landscaped with patio, decking, festoon lighting, hanging baskets and new furniture including covered booths.

An external garden room that doubles up as a function room has also been created in the garden by converting a previously unused outbuilding.

In addition, there is a brand new outdoor bar dedicated to serving the garden, while the pub has also been revamped internally.

A joint statement from the three publicans said: “We are so thrilled that we can now take full advantage of our outdoor space with our beautiful new beer garden.

"This is an amazing area for our customers to enjoy both in the sun and colder months.

"Although this has been a challenging time, we used our period of closure to makeover the pub and it has enabled us to have an additional area that allows us to welcome even more of our guests to the pub safely."

Punch’s operation director Lucy Barker added: “This is an exciting investment by Punch and Geoff, Iain and Craig who have operated the Navigation Inn for a number of years.

"By recognising these well-established publicans and working alongside them, we have together developed an even better pub for the area and local community to enjoy."