A NORTH Yorkshire village pub has reopened following a £1 million refurbishment.

The refurbishment of the Oak Tree Inn, in Helperby, between Easingwold and Boroughbridge, by pub group Provenance Inns, took nine months to plan and then seven months to transform, said owner Michael Ibbotson.

The Grade II-listed inn’s traditional bar, flooring and open fires have been restored to create a relaxed and informal drinking and dining area.

Pre-fab extensions have been pulled down and replaced with a barn extension which opens on to an outside courtyard suitable for formal or informal occasions, and it has a first-floor private dining room and sitting room with wood-burning stove and balcony for functions and six bedrooms.

Mr Ibbotson said: “We serve drinks, we serve food and people can stay. It is a real reflection of what the British Inn was, and is, all about.

“We believe that pubs can be food-driven and have good wine lists, proper kitchens and professional service without losing their tradition and without sacrificing quality.”

Provenance Inns includes the Durham Ox in Crayke, and reopened The Carpenters Arms at Felixkirk in September.

Mr Ibbotson said the firm would continue to look for more opportunities in North Yorkshire villages.