A Cumbrian drinking spot is in the running to be named country’s best pub after being toasted as the region’s number one.

The Drovers Rest, at Monkhill, near Carlisle, is one of just four supreme regional finalists in the Campaign for Real Ale’s (Camra) National Pub of the Year competition.

It means that they are now just one step away from potentially being named the very best in the UK.

The country pub was taken over by Sandy Williamson and his fiancée Sarah Robinson in August 2013, along with her parents Bill and Linda.

In little over two years the family team has transformed the pub from almost being completely closed to a thriving award-winning venue with an ever-growing reputation.

The Drovers Rest won Solway Camra’s pub of the season in autumn last year and was also crowned the branch’s 2015 pub of the year. Earlier this year it managed to go one step further in claiming the prize of Cumbria pub of the year.

Manager Sandy Williamson said: “We are so stunned and proud of getting to the top 16 pubs in the country and now to the top four. It’s almost unbelievable. We bought the Drovers from a brewery two-and-a-half years ago in a basically closed state. So to get to this point in such a short time means so much to us, our community and our local Camra branch.

“We’re just a small family-run country pub and we love doing what we do. Thank you to everyone.”

Judges assess the pubs on their atmosphere, decor, welcome, service, value for money, customer mix and quality of beer.

“Having it as a free house and without ties to a brewery has made a difference [in turning the pub around],” said Sarah.

“It means we can get beer in from all over the country and allows us to have a bigger selection.

“If one of our locals comes in and says they had this really good beer while they were on holiday can we get it for them, we will try. It gives us some uniqueness.”

The Monkhill pub has been designed to make customers feel like they’re in three different rooms. There’s a games area with a pool table, the bar area has a roaring fire in winter and there is a separate dining area.

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

The other pubs in the final four are: the Kelham Island Tavern, Sheffield; The Yard of Ale, Kent; and the Sandford Park Ale House, Cheltenham.