Oxfordshire-based pub giant WH Brakspear and Sons has waded into "the Venice of the Cotswolds" by revealing it is the new owner of The Lamb, near Bourton-on-the-Water.

Brakspear said it has plans to raise the game for the Grade-II listed village pub in Great Rissington, which also has rooms.

The Lamb's acquisition means the 200-year-old business will now boast a portfolio of six pubs and venues in Gloucestershire, with the Lamb joining ranks with Egypt Mill in Nailsworth, the Five Alls in Lechlade, the Frogmill at Andoversford and The Sheep and The Porch House, which are both in Stow-on-the-Wold.

The family-run hospitality operator has 125 venues in total, with the Brakspear name relating back to Nicholas Brakspear, the only Englishman to be named as Pope, in 1154.

Tom Davies, Brakspear CEO, said: "It will be a fantastic addition to our estate. We have other businesses with rooms within the Cotswolds, which are thriving, so it's an area we understand."

Overlooking the Windrush valley, this beautiful Grade II listed building with 14 bedrooms, had been under family ownership for many years until ill health prompted the business being offered to the market on a confidential basis.

The pub has a bar and restaurant with 80 covers and 14 en-suite bedrooms. Externally, there is a car park plus attractive gardens with seating areas to the front, side and rear.

According to the archive website gloucestershirepubs.co.uk, the pub was originally a farmhouse and dates back more than 300 years.

Enlisting the expertise of its own in-house design team, Brakspear said it is planning to invest in a refurbishment of The Lamb's bar area and dining spaces.

Gerard Winder, Brakspear's Business Development director, explained: "Our vision for The Lamb is to create a community hub while also offering a wonderful place to relax, stay and dine if visiting from further afield."

He added that Brakspear will be looking for a tenant "with experience of the area and a strong background in food and beverage" for a new tenancy agreement.

The pub is located close to Bourton-on-the-Water, Upper and Lower Slaughters and Stow-on-the-Wold, which are all three miles away, while Cheltenham, Cirencester and Oxford are the nearest towns and all within a 40-minute drive.