ONE of Dorset's most historic pubs, The Ship In Distress, has reopened following a major fire which almost destroyed the 300-year-old building.

The popular pub at Stanpit in Mudeford was forced to close after it was badly damaged in a tumble dryer fire in October last year.

Owner Maggie Wheeler who took over the pub ten years ago, decided it was an opportunity to give the place a new lease of life.

"I decided to have a complete revamp. We wanted to make it look brighter and more spacious. We have a new bar, new flooring, and we have also refurbished the restaurant which was nice but a bit dated.

"We've taken it back to highlight some of the original features. The restaurant has retained its nautical theme, but we've changed the colour scheme from blue to terracotta and cream, and tidied up the patio area outside."

Now Maggie is keen to let everyone know that The Ship In Distress is back on track.

"Some people haven't realise that we have reopened yet," she explained. "We were due to reopen around Valentine's Day but we had a few problems and eventually reopened in March."

The restaurant menu has also been updated and includes more meat dishes, although the main focus is still on fresh, locally sourced, seafood.

"We have kept all the fish dishes and added a few new meat dishes and starters such as spiced meat balls, and baked Camembert as well as a bigger selection of nibbles. We have also included some of our popular specials on the main menu like the Seafood Thermidor with tiger prawns, cod, salmon, mussels and scallops.”

Other features include a new seating area at the bar with a wood burner and dartboard where Maggie hopes to launch a new dartboard league.

She added: "We have done everything ourselves with help from our regulars so I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support - we couldn't have done it without them."

The Ship In Distress which is featured in The Good Pub Guide, offers a two course set lunch for senior citizens with a small glass of house wine for £12.50 and weekly events such as a bingo night on Wednesdays in the bar.

Forthcoming events this summer include a beer festival during the August Bank Holiday weekend with live music and a barbecue in the beer garden. The pub is dog friendly and has a large car park at the back. For more information, visit ship-in-distress.co.uk.