CHIDDINGFOLD residents are celebrating the re-launch of their village pub The Winterton Arms by new landlords Sam and Fiona Daffin, who also manage The White Hart in Witley.

Mr and Mrs Daffin took over a Youngs pub – The White Hart – three years ago and have turned the business around.

They now hope to do the same at The Winterton Arms, which they are leasing from Punch Taverns for 25 years.

There were fears for the future of The Winterton Arms, when Punch Taverns put it on the market as a going concern last year, but also as a building with “alternative use potential”, subject to planning consent.

The pub stayed open as no new buyers came forward but concern the village might lose the hostelry grew a few weeks ago when the tenants moved on and The Winterton Arms shut.

Residents were cheered this week to see the pub’s board out announcing The White Hart team had taken over.

The pub is set to re-open following a “spruce-up” by the end of this month.

“We hope to be open before December,” Mr Daffin told The Herald.

“We are just giving the place a lick of paint and a bit of a spruce-up. The White Hart is going very well and this is a chance to expand and grow.”

Chiddingfold borough councillor Simon Inchbald, who is also deputy Waverley Mayor, welcomed the news.

He said: “I’m looking forward to Chiddingfold having three pubs in the village again. I’m also looking forward to some new faces behind the bar and the chance to spread our patronage around the village again.”