Gosfield now has a village pub again, with the new landlords promising to breathe new life into a historic property.

The Kings Head, in The Street, Gosfield, reopened on Monday after a six week refurbishment.

New landlord Matthew Arnold, is hoping to transform the iconic Tudor building and wants the pub to be a big part of the community again.

The Kings Head most recently closed in March when manager Kay Crispin left the business, however the revitalised pub has now brought nine jobs to the area.

Mr Arnold, 36, said: "We are confident it will be a big success.

"We want to be a friendly, welcoming pub and look after people as much as we can.

"It won't be your typical boozer, it will be a smart place to meet and relax."

Mr Arnold, who grew up in Colchester but has lived in Gosfield in the past, has a long history in the hospitality trade and will be running the pub with his partner Emma Massey.

He said: "I have been working in pubs since I was 16.

"I went to university and then travelled Australia working in bars and restaurants.

"When I moved back to the UK I worked in a bar and worked my way up to manager.

"I eventually decided to start doing it for myself and then about ten-years-ago I got my first pub.

"I know the village pretty well and I saw this become available and I thought it would be a good project."

He is also a trained chef, and so food is set to be a big part of the Kings Head's offering.

"The menu will be a mix of traditional British favourites made with fresh ingredients," Mr Arnold said.

"At some point over the next couple of months we are planning to extend our opening hours to earlier in the morning so we can offer coffee, scones and cake as well as possibly breakfasts too.

"The whole point is to make it a meeting point for different types of people in the village."

Visit www.kingsheadgosfield.com.