IT HAD been hailed as one of the best pubs in Hampshire.

Now the Wonston Arms has been recognised as among the best four in the UK by the Campaign for Real Ale.

The national pub of the year will be announced in February.

The pub in Wonston near Winchester has been named one of the top four pubs in CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year awards, one of the most respected and well-known pub awards in the UK.

A true community pub saved from permanent closure, the Wonston Arms serves four real ales from local breweries plus 170 gins.

It opens on Mondays for darts matches, a fish and chip van visits Tuesdays, curries are delivered Fridays and a fishmonger visits on Thursdays.

Folk music takes place on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month and it is also home to regular jazz sessions, quizzes, and a photography club.

Owner and landlord Matt Todd said: "When the pub was derelict and empty, I still felt there was a need for it within the community. I'm overawed that three years later it's through to the final of the Pub of the Year competition, and the fact that what we do seems to be appealing to people beyond our little corner of Hampshire.

"Since the pub re-opened in April 2015, its become a really important asset to the community - people come in, they meet up, they talk, they get involved with what we've got going on, and it's a really, really happy place."

Pubs in the competition are selected by CAMRA volunteers and judged on their atmosphere, decor, welcome, service, community focus and most importantly – quality of beer. The Wonston Arms will be presented with an award for its achievement on December 15 at 2pm.

Nigel Jones, CAMRA’s regional director, said: “Matt and his team have created a fantastic rural village pub with a great atmosphere by shaping it around the community and its needs. They have realised that it takes something special to create a sense of real belonging so that people want to come out of their homes and back in the pub.

“The Wonston Arms serves excellent cask ales and is a great social environment for all. There is also a community business benefit which both emanates from, and contributes to, Matt's success. Regular "pop-up" hot food, music, community, charity and educational events add to the "must be there" feel.

“In these testing times for pubs it is a real credit to them that it is so popular. This pub really deserves to go all the way in this competition.”

Other finalists in the competition are the current holder of the Pub of the Year title, the Cricketers Arms in St Helens, Merseyside, as well as the Chequers in Little Gransden and the Volunteer Arms (Staggs) in Musselburgh.