Medieval Red Lion pub in Debenham to reopen after 25 years

The Red Lion, in Debenham's High Street, is due to open again for village drinks on Friday, November 24 and then full service from the Saturday.

The pub itself dates back to at least 1746, but closed as a public house in 1998. The building has since been used as a private home.

When the pub came up for sale last year, Leonora Faggionato, who lives on the outskirts of the village, decided to take a look at it and was "completely bowled over by how beautiful it is".

Ms Faggionato then acquired the Grade II listed building in the hope of reopening the pub, and will be running the back office day-to-day when it finally reopens.

The building has undergone extensive renovation works to restore the venue to its former glory, complete with a medieval hall upstairs.

Ms Faggionato said: "I'm really excited about it. We are working through the to-do list, which is extremely long, but we can't wait to be finally open after all this time.

"We had various problems in the cellar with a few little rivers following through the building but we were incredibly fortunate with the flooding in Debenham (in Storm Babet). Thankfully, the pub escaped unscathed.

"There have been a few challenges along the way, but it hasn't been as bad as restoring a medieval building could be. Structurally, it is pretty sound which has made a huge difference.

Leonora Faggionato acquired the Grade II listed building last year (Image: Charlotte Bond)

"The idea is to be able to walk into it when it's no longer a building site but a warm, welcoming place filled with people having a jolly time.

"We are also planning some fun events for Christmas and the New Year. We are really excited to be here."