A FORMER bustling pub that closed after trade dropped off is to house an opticians.

Karen May is setting up Crown Eyecare in the 200-year-old former Crown Inn, at Rumwell, which closed in 2018.

The one-time pub - previously called the Rumwell Inn - was purchased by a family business and will also house office space and holiday let.

Ms May, who will open for business on Monday (March 2)qualified as an optometrist in 1997 having studied at Cardiff University.

She moved to the area in 2003 and has worked at opticians in Wellington, Taunton, Ilminster and Chard since then.

She said: "With an increasing population in the area and an ever-growing demand for eyecare services, I believed it would be beneficial to provide additional provision for this in a location which is easy to reach with its own parking.

"The site of The Crown, Rumwell, seemed to fit the bill and when I visited to investigate I immediately fell in love with the building.

"Although the building had been used as a public house for over 200 years, after successive owners in most recent years failing to maintain it as a viable business it seemed that repurposing it may be the best way forward.

"It was my desire to preserve as much of the building's existing character as possible whilst giving it a new lease of life with a different business."

Crown Eyecare provides eye examinations designed to identify issues with eye and general health and establish whether glasses or contact lenses would be beneficial to reduce problems.

It provides a wide selection of glasses and lenses to suit multiple tastes and budgets and is not tied to using specific manufacturers or suppliers.