Saints legendary FA Cup winning manager Lawrie McMenemy has officially reopened the new look Duke on the Test pub near Romsey, which has been lying empty for more than five years.

The relaunch of this much-loved riverside pub was attended by hundreds of invited guests, including councillors, mayors, the local MP and even a Duke!

The Duke on The Test dates back to 1583 when the first hostelry opened on the site. Since then, the pub has had a rich history until its closure awaiting rejuvenation in 2017.

The beautiful building has now been extensively refurbished and also extended to include 12 en-suite bedrooms and an inviting sunroom.

Customers can now enjoy an extended bar and dining areas for over 90 covers, as well as outside patio space.

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Other features include a double aspect log burner, as well as a snug and library area.

Many of the original features have remained including oak beams and an Inglenook fireplace.

Lawrie McMenemy said: “It’s a privilege to be here to open The Duke on the Test. With so many pubs closing down this is a great news story. It’s fantastic for Romsey, the local community, and bringing important investment into the area. It’s also great for me because I live only five minutes away and given the fantastic job the new owners have done with the extension and full refurbishment, with the wonderful interior fit out, as well as the fantastic food I have tried today, I will certainly be a regular customer.”

Guests spotted a Duke at the launch event, which created a buzz. It later turned out to be ex Saints star and joker Mark Dennis, who had dressed up for the occasion.

Mark Pinn, General Manager at The Duke, said: “It was a fantastic re-opening and it’s lovely to be back open. The feedback has been very encouraging.

"We are confident local people and visitors to the area looking for quality accommodation will support us. We have created something very special and are now welcoming back old regulars and new customers to The Duke.

“The Duke on the Test will be a wonderful place to meet, eat, drink and sleep in the heart of the Test Valley. We are a stone’s throw from the River Test which makes for a stunning location for customers.

"We are very dog-friendly in the bar and can offer a river walk just a few hundred yards from the bar.

"We are now serving delicious home-cooked gastropub dishes alongside local real ales and a fabulous selection of wines and spirits.”

Dishes already proving popular include New Forest Pork Fillet, Chorizo Stuffed Chicken Supreme, pan fried local chalk stream trout and Thai Red Fish Curry.

New Forest Wild Boar Sausages, The Duke Burger and Swallowfields Farm Fillet Steaks from Bramshaw are also going down a storm.

Many of the drinks served come from local businesses including Flack Manor Brewery in Romsey, Elegant Wines, also a Romsey firm, Andover's Black Chalk Wine, and Danebury Vineyard in Stockbridge.

The Duke will be managed in conjunction with The Four Horseshoes in Nursling which was refurbished in 2019.

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