THE Beambridge Inn at Sampford Arundel has been sold to South-West brewery the Liberation Group.

The group also bought the Lime Kiln Inn at Knole, near Langport, in the deal with British Inns.

Liberation says new investment will secure the pubs’ future for the long-term.

Liberation purchased Butcombe Brewery in 2014 as a platform for expansion in the UK and has been acquiring pubs in the West Country ever since.

Chief executive Mark Crowther said: “Both these pubs will fit perfectly into our growing pub estate in the West Country, which now totals 25. This, together with the recent rebranding of the Butcombe Brewery and the rebadging of its beers, are the first steps in realising our ambition to become a very serious player in this market.”

British Inns PLC has reduced its ownership to just 14 premises. Executive director Peter Matthews said: “We are confident that these two pubs will be in safe hands going forward and will continue to thrive under Liberation’s ownership.”