A HISTORIC Southampton pub closed for more than two years is set to throw open its doors again.

The Old Farmhouse has been chained shut since a damning hygiene probe in 2019.

But now the iconic building in Mount Pleasant Road is set to get a new lease of life.

A revamp is currently underway, and the watering hole could reopen in time for the upcoming football season in August, according to owner Jelly Rai.

The Southampton businessman has pumped “around £25,000” into the 17th-century pub which was previously described as a “historical gem in a suburban setting”.

So far, the inside has been redecorated and the floors varnished.

Jelly said: “The building has character.

“It came up and I looked at it. I thought it needs a lot of work.

“The next plan is to do the garden and get it ready for the new season.

“The place was left in a shambles.”

Jelly, who also owns 5 Rivers Sports Bar in nearby Bevois Valley Road, says the Old Farmhouse will initially reopen without a kitchen.

Having lived in Southampton all his life, he added that he has seen at least five pubs in the Northam area close.

He also voiced his concerns about pubs operating during the coronavirus pandemic.

Regardless, Jelly said: “I am trying to keep it open as a pub.”

Punters will be able to enjoy “proper real ale” and once a new kitchen is fitted, traditional English food.

The building which sits near the junction of Derby and Mount Pleasant Road, has Grade II listed status.

It boasts many of its original features including low ceilings, exposed beams and brickwork. Oliver Cromwell is even rumoured to have visited in the 1650s.

The EI Group formerly owned the pub.

However, it was closed after the Food Standards Agency carried out an inspection of the site and found rat droppings in a food storage area.