A pub/restaurant has bucked the trend by re-opening following a £130,000 renovation. The Turnpike at Yarnton has undergone a major overhaul, including new seating and lighting inside, while the exterior has also been given a makeover.

New landlady Sandy Hamilton said: “We’ve totally revamped the interior which means we now have a private and designated dining area within the traditional pub environment that sets us apart from the normal country pub.

“The end result is candlelit dinners at beautifully laid tables and an ambience that, while remaining informal and welcoming, is also more select and desirable.

“Full waitress service means all food and drink needs can be accommodated at the table when ordering, plus our guests can now make live bookings online.

“It is a loving and tasteful restoration in keeping with the character of a magnificent old building.”

Six jobs have been created, taking the number of staff to 26.

The Cotswold stone inn was built more than 200 years ago and was originally known as The Bunch of Grapes. It was a popular haunt on the Stokenchurch to Woodstock highway that was part of the Turnpike Trust.

The roof is Cotswold stone slate and was once described as “the finest in Oxfordshire” by Sir John Betjeman, poet laureate, on one of his many visits to nearby Yarnton Manor.