A newly refurbished farmhouse pub has received rave reviews from loyal customers who feared it would lose its strong cultural heritage. 

The doors of the new look Larkshall pub in Larkshall Road, opened to the public on Saturday after closing on December 1 for a £250,000 overhaul. 

Punters have welcomed the Spirit Pub Company's "sympathetic" approach in bringing the pub up to modern day standards whilst retaining some of its original characteristics.   

The exterior and interior has been re-painted from a yellow and green colour-scheme to a pale grey with darker shades. 

Outdated carpets have been replaced with solid wood flooring and tiling. 

A second bar area which had not been staffed in almost a decade has been transformed into an open-space dining area and the front entrance is now an exit with the side access now used as the main entrance. 

Certain listed features including the stairwell and beams have been restored and the detailed coving re-painted. 

Sofas are custom-made and the pub with its new quality menu can now cater for up to 70 guests. 

Manager Scott Bailey, 25, said: "They have done a phenomenal job for nine days work. 

"We have received great feedback from regulars and families, and served more roast dinners on Sunday than in the whole time I've been here (since August).

"I think the public will be pleasantly surprised and we are already attracting a new clientele."

John Critchley, 65, of Coolgardie Avenue, Chingford started drinking at The Larkshall when it was first converted from a farmhouse in 1982.

He said: "At some point you have to move on and that is what has happened here, but in a sympathetic way as it still retains many of its original features."

Customer of 20 years Raymond George Staples of Chingdale Road, Chingford, said he feared the worst. 

The 66-year-old added: "It has not frightened me as much as I thought it would have. 

"I worried it would lose its history and that they would take the soul out of the pub but they have been quite sympathetic to its cultural heritage."

The outdoor decking area described by some as a "health hazard" has been replaced by concrete paving which Mr Bailey hopes will provide for live entertainment and barbeques in the summer months.