A NEW film has been produced which tells the story of Bolton’s oldest pub.

Ye Olde Man and Scythe in Churchgate closed its doors in October but was later rescued by entrepreneur Richard Greenwood.

He reopened it a month later, pledging to preserve its character but also to turn it into a tourist attraction.

The pub dates back to 1251 and is thought to be one of the four oldest public houses in England.

Mr Greenwood commissioned the film — which can be viewed on the video sharing website YouTube — which shows sepia images and video clips of both the inside and outside of the building, along with facts about the pub’s history.

An “augmented reality” still image of the pub has also been produced which shows contextual information when viewed on computer tablets and smartphones.

Mr Greenwood, aged 37, worked as a consultant for bars and hotels around the world before taking the reins at the Man and Scythe.

He said: “It took about three weeks to put together and we’ve gone over the history of the pub — I think people will find it quite interesting.

“The augmented reality is a still picture which comes to life and people jump back when they see it.

“Hopefully it will bring more people to see the pub and we’d like to get it out there to local organisations.”

“We wanted to make more of its history, and turning it into a tourist attraction is still something I’d like to work together with the council on.”

Mr Greenwood added that people have reacted favourably since he took over.

He said: “Things are going fantastically and the response has been really good. People are just happy for the place to be open."