TRAVELLING north to Scotland or returning to the Tyne Valley, the Redesdale Arms is an historic pub in a memorable location.

Located near Rochester, the pub is in a 16th century coaching inn, known as the "First & Last" Inn en route to Scotland.

The oldest part of the building is over 600 years old and is a former bastle house - a military defence house that was occupied during the late middle ages when the local area was known as the "Debatable Lands" and roamed by people known as the Border Reivers.

The pub closed in March in line with Government guidance, and while owners Carrol Armstrong and Mark Pinner were excited about reopening in July, they were unsure of the public response.

"July was a bit of a slow start," Carrol said, "but August was tremendous."

The couple have owned the pub for 12 years and Carrol said closing the pub between March and July was their toughest challenge yet.

She explained: "We were really unsure because we didn't know what to expect. Was business going to take off again and would we get people through the door, we just weren't sure."

The first action staff took was to follow coronavirus health and safety guidance to be able to reopen again.

Tables were removed from the dining and bar area with the pub working at a reduced capacity, and booking ahead was encouraged.

"It was a huge relief to welcome people back," Carrol added. "It also came with a huge sense of responsibility on ourselves to provide the best experience.

"I don't know how much longer we could have gone on if we remained closed."

Despite the closure the pub's kitchen stayed open and Carrol and Mark operated a "popular" takeaway operation that included Sunday lunches.

Carrol helped deliver meals to surrounding communities such as Rochester, Otterburn and Elsdon to ensure the Redesdale Arms dining experience could be enjoyed at home.

Located on the A68 near the Scottish border the pub's prominent location is a draw for locals, daytrippers and holidaymakers.

And the introduction of the Government's Eat Out To Help Out scheme in August drastically increased business.

August is often the pub's busiest month with an influx of holidaymakers, but Carrol said Eat Out To Help Out was a huge boost after the slow July.

She said: "We sold the tables twice over during August. The phone was constantly ringing.

"The majority of the customers were new people. It was great for families and we saw loads of groups coming in."

An increase in footfall meant there was extra pressure on staff, but Carrol praised the staff's response and is positively looking ahead to the future.

"We have a very good core business," she said. "September is looking good and we're seeing lots of staycationers are staying for longer periods of time."