SET in the beautiful, quaint village of Arlingham The Red Lion pub is the perfect destination for anyone seeking a refreshing ale or a delicious meal.

In 2013 villagers raised a staggering £300,000 in just 48 hours to save their only pub from auction.

Now under new landlord Mark Roberts, the pub is continuing to grow, attracting large numbers of walkers and people seeking different culinary experiences.

“The pub is doing very well especially during the holiday period,” said Mark.

“I really want to make it more of a destination pub as Arlingham is a bit off the beaten track.

“We get a large number of walkers who come into the pub telling us they had no idea the pub even existed and I really want to put us on the map.

“Arlingham is a sought after location with the river just over a mile away and a number of beautiful walking paths.”

Mark who is originally from Ealing in West London worked in the entertainment business for 10 years.

He said: “I followed in the footsteps of my father Jon Derek who was a well-known country singer.

“I was literally born into music…it was all around me…PA equipment in the hallway, stacks of records in the lounge, my dad’s home studio and his band members coming and going.

“I performed under the stage name Mark Derek as a Cabaret singer for nearly a decade until people started asking me when I was going to get a proper job.”

Fortunately Mark has enjoyed the move away from singing but still feels hospitality is in some ways showbiz.

“When I‘m standing at the bar serving drinks It feels like I’m back on stage performing.”

Mark has had to work his way up through the hospitality ranks working in Cambridge and Hampshire before finally settling in the Stroud district.

“I had to start at the bottom but I’ve finally got where I want to be.

“I was the landlord of The Trusty Servant in Minstead, Hampshire but I was never given autonomy.

“I never thought I’d end up in Arlingham but I’m glad I did.”

The Red lion is open Monday for drinks from 6pm to 11pm, Tuesday to Saturday from noon to 11pm with food being served until 9pm and on Sunday from noon to 11pm with food being served until 6pm.

Address: High St, Arlingham, Gloucester GL2 7JN, Phone: 01452 740700