A FORMER rugby league star-turned hospitality entrepreneur has bought a pub in the depths of the Yorkshire Dales.

Andy Gascoigne, who played for clubs including Leeds, Doncaster and Hull throughout the 80s and 90s, has snapped up The Farmers Arms in Muker in Upper Swaledale for £575,000.

Mr Gascoigne who already owns Haworth Steam Brewery, one of the UK’s smallest independent microbreweries, and Haworth Gins, but said he was keen to have a pub to call his own.

He said: “My wife and I have wanted to buy a pub for some time now and we know Muker and The Farmers Arms very well.

"We already have a brewery and drinks business, so we are no strangers to the licensed trade.

"We’ve got some exciting plans for the pub and look forward to getting our teeth into it over the next few weeks and months.”

David Cash, Associate Director at Christie & Co handled the sale and said they were seeing increased buyer demand for countryside and coast hospitality businesses, adding that they have brokered sales of more than 150 hospitality businesses nationwide since April 1.