residents of a small village who objected to their local pub being sold for housing may be able to enjoy a pint there in future.

The Tarn House at Stirton, Skipton, has been sold to the caravan park next door, believed to be for development into a clubhouse and leisure complex.

The imposing building, which was the subject of a recent planning battle, was sold privately for an undisclosed sum.

The new owners, Partington Ltd of Lancashire, already run the nearby caravan site. However a spokesman for the firm declined to give any information about its intentions.

The previous owner, Lindsay Ackroyd, told the Craven Herald he was sorry to see the inn go but the business was no longer viable.

"I would have liked to have been in a position to develop it but it would take millions," he said.

Tarn House closed in January after being run as a hotel for 30 years. Plans to convert the building into housing were successfully opposed by residents in Stirton who objected to losing the pub's facilities.

Craven District Council planning committee rejected a proposal to turn the building into six houses saying it should protect public services and amenities.

Members said that not enough had been done to sell the business as a going concern.

In February, Tozer Rural Developments, the company wanting to convert the property into houses, lodged an appeal against the refusal of planning permission.

The original buildings at Tarn House date back to 1685 when the property, with its tarn, was an important centre for stabling, watering and trading in packhorses.

The main Victorian building dates from 1860 and is set in one-and-a-half acres of lawned gardens. Mr Ackroyd bought Tarn House in 1980 and ran it as a function bar and restaurant. He sold it in 1984 but, after four different owners tried to make the business a success, he bought it back in in 1991.

Mr Ackroyd said the venture had always lacked capital and the building needed a lot spending on it.

The foot and mouth outbreak was blamed for a loss of trade which never returned once the crisis was over.

Mr Ackroyd thanked the people of nearby villages for their help and support over the years.