SITTING on a veranda surrounded by palm trees, listening to the sound of birdsong and looking out onto a tropical garden.

No, this isn't an exotic faraway location, this is the recently opened Le Petit Chateau and William de Percy Inn in Otterburn.

Formerly The Percy Arms, the historic Northumberland hotel was up for sale for two years before it was bought by entrepreneur Duncan Fisher and his award-winning leisure company Newton Hall Northumberland Ltd.

The project took nearly eight months to complete and the result is unrecognisable.

Mr Fisher said: "The support for the venue has been incredible. We had so many local people coming in and offering their skills. There was everyone from young labourers to artists from Bellingham who did the paintwork."

The venue has employed a number of staff from the local area who have been provided with training.

It has been transformed into a French-inspired wedding venue and pub in the heart of Otterburn village.

The William de Percy inn and creperie, which combines a traditional Northumbrian pub with a continental twist, has a warm and rustic feel.

Dark furniture and exposed brickwork make for an inviting and cosy atmosphere.

"William de Percy has a very different feel to the old pub. We wanted to bring back its traditional values," Mr Fisher said.

"We wanted to do something different and make it more rustic-looking but with that little French twist."

This French twist is something that can be seen throughout; original beams are mixed with decadent chandeliers and plush sofas in deep velvet.

Le Petit Chateau has already hosted four weddings, with over 100 on the books for the rest of the year.

With a stylish function room that seats 160 and holds 220 people for an evening reception, any wedding big or small can be catered for.

Accessible from over a small stream is the chapel with its distinctive curved roof and imposing doors sourced from a chapel in the South of France.

The grand doors open to reveal a room that would not look out of place in Versailles, all marble fireplaces and antique furniture.

The attention to detail is obvious throughout; doors and light fittings have been sourced from antique fairs around the world.

For those who don't want far to travel after the wedding there are 30 luxurious bedrooms to choose from.

Mr Fisher said: "Over 60 couples had put down a deposit here before they had even seen it. They had such confidence in Le Petit Chateau because of our other venues."

The thing he is most proud of is the garden.

Twelve-metre sliding glass doors open out onto the garden festooned with palm trees, a fountain and a boules court.

"I talked to four landscape gardeners who all said it couldn't be done," he said.

"We deliberately wanted to make the back of the hotel completely different to the front, you get the feeling you are on holiday.

"The wedding market is so competitive now you always have to do something different.

"We are very proud of everything we do and we're really happy with the result. This is a little bit of fantasy in Northumberland."