A 19th century back-street boozer is to reopen under new management tomorrow after two months shut.

The Red Lion in Dover has been taken on by Ben Bowman, who has worked in pubs since he was 14.

The 36-year-old initially had reservations about the move, but says he changed his mind as soon as he stepped inside the Charlton Green inn, which was built in 1850.

"I walked into the place and fell in love with it," he said.

"It was one of those moments where I thought this could actually be a really nice pub.

"People won't notice a massive change immediately but we have taken it on on a long-term basis to upgrade the entire operation.

"We want to put on theme nights, quizzes, and live music events."

Mr Bowman - who will be a tenant at the brewery-owned pub - previously saved another boozer in the district from closure.

"This will be my first pub that I have taken on on my own, in the sense of being the tenant, but I have managed many pubs," he said.

"The last I was in - the Bowling Green in Deal - I actually saved from itself.

"The brewery were about to close the doors and I jumped in and saved it, and kept the doors open while they found a new tenant.

"It just felt like the natural next step was to take on The Red Lion pub myself."

Mr Bowman says he will be putting a lot of effort into the food side of the business.

"We want to get the restaurant thriving so the garden is busy in summer - that's our main goal," he said.

"There's a lot of work to do out there to make it a really nice place to come.

"We're going to try and make it a happening little place for where it is, because it's a shame it hasn't had the chance to thrive in recent years.

"This week we have been working on it, and a lot of people have popped their heads in to ask if it is reopening. People are really enthusiastic about it."

Mr Bowman says he is keen to offer a place for people to escape to amid the cost-of-living crisis.

"I think escapism is important for a lot of people," he said.

"We will try to keep our prices reasonable. We're not running the Ritz - at the end of the day it's a back-street pub in Dover.

"We want to keep the atmosphere friendly and give people a bit of escapism, or even somewhere warm to go if they don't want to stick the heating on - if it's cheaper for them to buy a couple of pints.

"We welcome everybody, young or old."