The new owner of a market town pub which was an integral part of a thriving community during Queen Victoria's reign is hoping to restore the venue to its glory days.

Robert Bartram has just spent his first Christmas and seen in the new year for the first time as the new landlord of the Red Lion in Swaffham.

The married father-of-three had viewed more than 200 pubs across Kent, Essex, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk before settling on the former coaching inn.

Over the past nine months, he has invested tens of thousands of pounds into the building and car park, and said he was now looking forward to joining in this year's 800th anniversary celebrations of Swaffham's market place.

Mr Bartram, who moved up to Swaffham from Chelmsford in Essex with is wife Karen in March last year, said: 'When we found this place, we thought perhaps it's in the stars that we were destined for this place, and maybe we were. They say when it comes to business, it's all about location, location, location, and this has got one of the best locations in the town.

'This year in Swaffham should be a very good promotional year for the town, celebrating 800 years as a market town. If the council and local people get behind promoting their town then it should be good for everyone and all of the businesses.'

He said he started with a 'blank sheet of paper' in terms of refurbishing the venue after its previous owners, who had been there for 22 years, left.

Together with his wife, he headed to Swaffham Museum to dig out a number of old photos of the pub which dates back to the 1600s and now has them on display in the venue.

'In Queen Victoria's reign this was the centre of the town and Swaffham was a major, bustling town, we just hope it comes back to that way,' said Mr Bartram.

Have you got a Swaffham story? Email kate.scotter@archant.co.uk