AN award-winning country pub is holding its first beer festival this weekend.

The Crown Inn, at Manfield, near Darlington has organised entertainment and top quality beers for the three-day event.

Up to 14 real ales will be on offer in a marquee that has been erected in the grounds of the pub.

Six other specialist beers will also be on sale inside the pub, and specialist foreign bottled beers will be on offer.

The Darlington branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) is supporting the event and a coach full of members sampled the delights of the festival brews last night. The pub was recently named Country Pub of the Year by the Darlington branch.

Landlady Karen Hynes said: "We are hoping to get a good turn out over the weekend.

"Thanks to winning the Camra award we have had some publicity.

"I hope people come along. We have three weeks' worth of beer to get through."

The festival opened last night and carried on until midnight.

It runs today from noon to midnight, with entertainment provided by ceilidh band Beggars Bowl, and on Sunday, from noon until the beer runs out.