AFTER being shut for five years, The George in Codford St Peter will once again be opening it's doors to the village tomorrow night (December 8).

From 7pm, there will be free mulled wine on entry, a finger buffet from 8.50pm and entertainment from signer Laura Jane from 9.30pm.

The George, historically called the Inn, has been recorded at least since 1609 and provided refreshments until a fire burnt down the thatched building on the main Salisbury to Bath road in the 1890s.

It was rebuilt a little further back and connected to the coach house that had survived the fire. It became the George Hotel and had mixed fortunes, with a decline when Codford village was bypassed.

However after five years of closure it will be reopened as a village pub by the landlord of The Stallards, Trowbridge, Kevin Christodoulou.

Mr Christodoulou said: "We are very excited to re-open the George.

"It has been quite a bit of work but we are nearly ready to go."

Managers from The Stallards, Anthony Brown and Lee Carruthers will be running the George from behind the bar.

Mr Carruthers said: "It will certainly be an adventure, and we will be very busy running the two pubs, but it is nice to do this for the community."