A HISTORICAL pub has been restored to its former glory - and with a modern twist.

The Duke of Cornwall on Saint Edmund Street in Weymouth is under the new management of Michelle Tempest and her partner Jason Osborne.

The couple bought the pub in October 2016 and it was officially opened by the new Mayor of Weymouth and Portland, councillor Kevin Brooks, at a launch party last month.

It was out of chance that the couple, who also own The Leam Hotel on the Esplanade, spotted the pub on the market.

When out walking their dog, Nero, Jason past the pub and immediately saw a new business venture.

Previous landlady, Patricia Wilson, had owned the venue since 2008 before it closed in 2016.

While still in-keeping with the pubs history, The Duke of Cornwall has been transformed in to Cornish-themed real ale and gin pub.

Like past owners, Michelle and Jason are keen to keep the pub well-known for it's live music and have live acts on five times a week.

Michelle said: "This is our fourth year in Weymouth. We came down here and simply fell in love with the area, and we never want to leave.

"Jason loves to sail so it was because of the Olympics that we even discovered the area. It was love at first sight.

"Jason was just taking the dog for a walk when he saw the pub was for sale - it was the most expensive dog walk ever.

"There was quite a bit of interest in the pub at the time and a few offers on the table. So we got our offer in quick and it was clearly meant to be.

"We didn't quite realise how much history the pub had. Everyone has a story and its fantastic to hear them from our customers.

"It was in a poor state of repair after being closed for 14 months and the pigeons had got in making the inside and the courtyard in need of cleaning and renovation.

"The Duke had 17 offers and we were lucky enough to have our offer accepted we bought the pub within a week.

"We have worked on it from November 16 to Good Friday - a lot of hard work has gone in to this.

"One major improvement we have made is bringing the men's toilets inside - our male customers have been very excited about it. And we now have a lovely new courtyard for people to enjoy."

Jason, who is also a borough councillor, added: "I look at Weymouth and see how lucky we are.

"We need to stop focusing on the negatives of the town and focus on the positives.

"It's a great area and we should all pull together to raise the bar of the town."