Sixteenth century inn The Punch Bowl in Marton-cum-Grafton is voted best pub in Yorkshire

The Punch Bowl, in Marton-cum-Grafton, North Yorkshire was one of 15 pubs to be named as the best in its region.

The inn, which is around 500 years old, is probably best known from its days as a "roadhouse" in the mid 20th century. It provided a place for classic car owners to meet as they toured the North Yorkshire countryside.

Roadhouses were popular destination for drivers who were experiencing the joys of the open road for the first time as car ownership became more widespread during the 1950s and 1960s.

The inn's website states: "The Punch Bowl’s proximity to the Great North Road, which then had no speed restrictions, and its then ownership by a motoring enthusiast, Eddie Shine, who created a motor-themed pub, earned it a spot on Pathe News in 1958. Even then it was a target destination for classic cars, with a 1910 Renault featured in the newsreel. The 1950s bar featured a host of car badges and even a carpet covered in pictures of cars and counted rally and racing drivers among its regular visitors."

It added: "Marton-cum-Grafton is a beautiful area with so much to offer no matter what your interests, culture, history, archaeology, national trust properties, racing, fishing, walking and even James Herriot."

Today, the inn has a traditional bar and private dining room. A total of 94 pubs and bars gathered in London last night to celebrate some of the leading businesses in the industry across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The Frogmill – a 16th century pub located in the heart of the Cotswolds – was voted the UK’s best.

The National Pub & Bar Awards was sponsored by Cawston Press, graze, Hellmann's, Kegstar, Lamb Weston, Kingfisher, Knorr, The Real English Drinks Distillery and St. Pierre.