TARN House Country Inn at Stirton is celebrating after winning an award from the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).

The inn - run by Partingtons Holiday Centres Ltd - has been named the most improved pub by the Keighley and Craven branch of CAMRA.

CAMRA offical Ian Berry said the pub had put effort into improving the real ale landscape and now served three real ales "in good nick".

He added: "The Tarn House has served real ale in the past. However it was taken out during a period of steady decline to a point of almost closing before being revitalised and refurbished to what it is now."

Originally a manor house with extensive grounds, Tarn House was built around 1650 and extended in the mid-1800s. The house was converted to a hotel in the 1970s and, while there is a a caravan park in its ground, it is hardly visible from the extensive lawns at the front which serve as a beer garden.

“It’s an excellent spot for wildlife," said Ian. "On our visits we have heard woodpeckers hammering away, seen sparrows, blackbirds, tree creepers and tits of various types and ‘not bothered’ bunnies on the lawn, an owl drifting silently into one of the large surrounding trees on the night of the presentation and a pair of swallows have moved in for this season above the door in the entrance hall.”

The bar is a quite modern style. It started with one hand pump but now has three, with the last one being introduced in July.

Bar manager Martin Dixon said his customers regularly asked for Tetley mild so he tried to get that on every two weeks or so, but beyond that, the ales on offer could be anything from the brewery list.

In the summer, food is served every day, with entertainment on the last Saturday of the month.

However, the pub is seasonal - from the end of October to mid December, it is open weekends only and will probably have just one real ale on. It is closed from mid-December to Valentine’s Day, but reopens daily from the beginning of March.