A pub is closing due to “extreme” rent hikes and the “sheer state” of its building.

The Waggon and Horses on Chorley Road in Westhoughton will shut its doors on Sunday, September 29.

It is run by OV-Group, which manages pubs across the North West and North Wales.

A pub spokesperson said: “Extreme rises in rent and the sheer state of the building mean that we're unable to stay for the long term.

“We took this decision with a heavy heart.

“This journey has been fantastic, and we have made a massive improvement refurbishing the site and with the quality of the pub’s food and drink.”

The pub's staff will be moved to the pub group’s other sites.

Jordan Dempsey, operations director at OV-Group, said: “We have made the very difficult choice to leave the Waggon and Horses.

“The pub has not been generating the turnover we expect.

“Therefore, we will not be continuing our operations at this beautiful pub.

“We do have more locations in our pipeline. And will continue our partnership with Admiral Taverns who we have multiple sites with across the North West and North Wales.

“We are mindful that the pub employs around 20 people and have offered all of them new roles locally.

“Although we love this pub, we can’t get every site right every time.”

The pub went through several renovations including one that caused it to close temporarily in March of last year, before OV-Group took over.

It has a rich history with 18 different style windows, some stained glass.

One shows the lighting of the beacon on Rivington Pike that signalled the Spanish Armada's approach.

Another, shows the burning of Westhoughton Mill. It was one of Britain’s first terrorist acts, part of the Luddites’ destruction of mills throughout the North and the Midlands in the 1810s.