A historic Fakenham pub is set to reopen once again after finding new ownership.

Eastern Daily Press: ‘The Bull Inn’ Bridge Street Fakenham. Date: unknown. Photo: Fakenham Community Archive.‘The Bull Inn’ Bridge Street Fakenham. Date: unknown. Photo: Fakenham Community Archive. (Image: Fakenham Community Archive.)

Luke Mortlock has acquired the lease to The Bull on Bridge Street, which closed its doors last year, and will be running the pub with his girlfriend Katarzyna Adamczyk.

The pub is set to reopen as soon as possible and Mr Mortlock said: 'We're in the process of getting the place redone but if all goes to plan we should open very soon. We had been looking for a pub and this one looked really nice and both the county and the town seemed like a nice place.'

Mr Mortlock is originally from Leicestershire but will now be moving to Norfolk and has experience of running pubs.

He has recently advertised for bar staff and hopes his new establishment will employ around seven or eight people.

Eastern Daily Press: The Bull in Fakenham. Picture: Matthew Usher.The Bull in Fakenham. Picture: Matthew Usher. (Image: Archant © 2009)

He added: 'We put up a post a couple of days ago for people to apply and we've had lots of responses. It will be seven or eight jobs to start off with and hopefully we can employ more over time.'

The Bull has been recorded as being open as long ago as 1937 and was named The Bull because of its location on what was then known as Bull Street.

It is said that the road's name was changed after a visit to Fakenham from the soon-to-be Queen Victoria.

As the story goes, the future monarch became stuck in a ford in her carriage and vowed never to return to Fakenham unless a bridge was built. The bridge was duly built but Queen Victoria still never returned to the town.

The reopening comes at a time when pub closures in Norfolk are rife, with 145 shutting across the county since 2010 and The Bull also has a nearby Wetherspoons to compete with.

Mr Mortlock added: 'Obviously there is always the worry in the back of your mind but we are hopeful that we will do well.

'I've worked close to a Wetherspoons before and I have always said as long as you don't try and compete with them there isn't a problem.

'We are providing a completely different service to them and I have my own business plan.'