THE Knights Rest pub in Taunton will re-open this weekend, its owners say.

The doors closed at the venue in Castle Green two weeks ago after the publican Cliff Marais said they were unable to negotiate a long-term deal with the building’s owners Enterprise Inns.

But a spokesman for Enterprise Inns, the owners of the building, told the County Gazette they planned to have the pub open again by the weekend under different management.

They said: “It is a good pub and we do not want to lose local assets for the community.

“We have just been doing some cleaning work and tidying up and we will look to open again at the weekend under different publicans.”

News about the venue’s closure was announced by Mr Marais, who posted on the pub’s Facebook page: “It would seem, though, that they [Enterprise Inns] are more prepared to hire a security company to take care of the building than they are to negotiate a long-term lease at a reasonable rate.

“This being the case, I have been left with no alternative but to close the doors, or alternatively hand over the running to a willing new publican, and at this moment in time, there seems to be none.”

The venue was previously called The Drawing Room and Winchester Arms.

Anyone who booked an event or function at Knights Rest for 2014 and paid deposits should email knightsrest@hotmail.co.uk