An HISTORIC Ribble Valley inn has been upgraded to hotel status.

Waddington's Moorcock Inn has been elevated to its new position after an appraisal under the Valuation Office Assessment.
Until recently the establishment, which sits on the slopes of Waddington Fell overlooking the Ribble Valley, was only classified as a "pub with premises".
Now its managing director, is delighted with news of the upgrade. He said: "When I started work at the Moorcock I read about the history of the building and as a result I was determined to get the certification changed – this place should not be classified as just a pub."
The first stage of his dream to revitalise the Moorcock has now come true, following extensive redevelopment work which has seen all 13 bedrooms being completely refurbished, as well as having work carried out to the ballroom and bar area.
Stage two is to secure star and rosette ratings, as well as relaunching the restaurant which prides itself on serving home-cooked food sourced, where possible, from Lancashire.
"We are working very hard to put the hotel back where it was and to let the people of the Ribble Valley know that the owners have the ambition to bring it back high up the market. There is the need in the Clitheroe area for a top quality hotel and that is what we are trying to achieve here."
He added: "When I started work here my ultimate vision was to turn the Moorcock into a 32-bedroomed country house hotel with full leisure facilities including swimming pool and gymnasium and I still have that goal in mind."
However, with decades' worth of experience in the hotel business, he knows that to succeed fully, establishments need to build a good reputation slowly and properly. With good feedback already coming from clients The Moorcock is already taking big steps in the right direction.
"We have achieved a lot, but there is still a lot more to do. With the owners Stephen and Andrew Thornber, we have given pride back to the staff who really enjoy their jobs and work very closely together."