Will Bradshaw is planning to make changes at the Monkey House pub in Southampton Road, Lymington

Will Bradshaw, landlord of the Monkey House in Southampton Road, Lymington, oner of the last freehouses in the town, is preparing to submit a planning application.

If the scheme is given the go-ahead the new facility will open later this year.

Mr Bradshaw, who comes from a brewing background, aims to enhance the pub by producing a large number of cask and keg beers on the premises, including bitters, pale ales and lagers.

"It will put the brewing process on a pedestal," he said.

"The process will see raw materials turn into a pint on the bar - and I'll be here to explain how it happened."

The Monkey House has opened and closed several times in recent years but the pub has gone from strength to strength since Mr Bradshaw and his wife Lizzie took over in July last year.

He said: "It's a real community pub with something for everyone.

"We serve the tourist industry in the summer but we're busy all year round. We offer a good bar with local beers, plus a menu that includes fish specials. We also have live music every Sunday night, which attracts a good trade."

Mr Bradshaw, 31, grew up in Burley and went to school in Lymington before working in the brewing industry in Bristol.

"It was always my dream to come back to the New Forest and I was looking for a freehouse," he said. "The Monkey House was well known for good quality food and it's my intention to keep that going."

The pub, which is thought to be at least 200 years old, has had various titles over the years.

In 1978 it was named the Monkey House – a reference to a previous landlord who kept monkeys as pets.

It later became the Tollhouse Inn in a nod to the old turnpike next door but has since reverted to its previous name.