THREE farming brothers turned estate agents have gone back to their roots by taking over the pub in the village where they grew up.

The Aldwark Arms, in Aldwark, is now under the ownership of the Hardisty brothers - Andy, Ian and Pete.

The trio grew up in the village, with Andy working as a pig farmer down the lane from the pub, before leaving the area to set up an estate agency in Leeds.

Ian and Pete followed, and the three brothers ran the business together for seven years, until the Aldwark Arms recently came up for sale.

Pete, who manages the pub while Andy and Ian run the estate agency, said: "We used to come in the pub quite regularly and it used to be frustrating because we could see the potential it had to be better.

"With growing up in the village and knowing a lot of people we thought we would have a good chance of it being successful.

"Working at the estate agents we went through a very buoyant market through to when it went the other way so we have been through the good and bad times, which has helped us learn and given us of experience of working together.

"We did our research first, and I have worked in hospitality before. We have really high ambitions, and are already thinking about the possibility of cottages and log cabins at the back."

The brothers have created between 15 and 20 jobs, and have refurbished the pub, which they say has been designed to be family friendly with an equal emphasis on maximising both drinking and dining custom.