A SALISBURY landlord was “devastated” to close her pub after just six months.

The Royal George, in Bedwin Street, which was branded as “our very own country pub in the city” by punters, closed its doors on February 17, as Michelle Heaton stepped down from her landlord role.

According to Michelle the team had a lease deal with Pub Solutions which was due to end in March, however the lease was handed in last month.

Following the closure Michelle said she was “devastated”, adding: “I got informed a month ago the lease was ending so a decision had to be made. Because of that and various other reasons I came away last week, which in turn caused the doors to be shut.”

Three days later however, the pub reopened and was back to welcoming customers.

Michelle said she was “proud” to be in charge of the pub, which she described as “a village pub in the heart of the city”, adding: “We had the kitchen up and running again, we had a successful Christmas, the lunch menu was doing well, but it all comes at an extra cost.

“In recent years the pub had lost its sparkle but it was coming back.

“It is a fantastic pub with a real community feel and the locals are so great. It was always just lots of people sitting around chatting and enjoying themselves, I’m so happy I got to be a part of that.”

The Royal George is back open again after being taken over by Nigel Morcam and Judy Bostock, who have described the site as “open as normal”.

Nigel added: [The Royal George] is a great, nice local with a real traditional feel.

“We’re not sure what happened before with the previous landlady but we are happy to be here.”

“It’s so important to have these types of pubs still, it will be such a shame if it changes from what it is like now,” Michelle told the Journal.

“I’m glad I got to be a landlady for the first time and I will tick this off my bucket list.

“This might be time for a different path but I’d feel lost without pulling a pint! I will be keeping my options open. I really hope the new owners understand the values of this pub.”

A spokesperson for Ei Publican Partnerships said: “We would like to reassure the local community that The Royal George will remain open under temporary management as we recruit a new publican to take on the site.

"If anyone is interested in this exciting opportunity, or want further information, please call our recruitment hotline on 03333 200036.”