We visited a charming canalside Staffordshire village pub with ambitions to become a recognised place for real ale

Sometimes, a pub just strikes it lucky with where it was built and the location it is surrounded by.

There are pubs which are surrounded by beautiful countryside, others set in vibrant city centres and some set on busy main roads and which become popular venues due to being a good place to stop and rest.

The Navigation Inn in Gnosall is one which has struck it especially lucky, having been built next to the Shropshire Union Canal, a canal popular with boaters due to its isolated and rural setting and the range of beautiful view people travelling on it can see.

Set on a bridge on the A518 Newport Road, the Navigation Inn is a wonder in white brick and the familiar sign on the outside, visible on both the A518 and to anyone on a boat or walking along the path of the Shropshire Union Canal.

The pub is owned by Punch Pubs and is run by Hannah Darrall and Bikash Sapkota, who also run a number of other pubs in the area and who took over the lease in July.

Ms Darrall said the location of the pub and the warm welcome had been key in their decision to take on the lease of the Navigation Inn.

She said: "We took over the lease of the Navigation Inn about a month ago, adding it to the Bell Inn in Haughton and the Bradford Arms in Wheaton Aston, and I think what attracted us to the area was the community because we're based in Haughton and it's literally the next village down the road.

"We wanted to build on the reputation of the Bell and we loved the idea of the canal side pub as it's absolutely beautiful and in a really gorgeous location and we truly felt that we could do something with this similar to our other pubs."

Ms Darrall said the pub had needed a bit of work on the inside when she and Bikash moved in, giving the bar a deep clean, painting the walls and replacing the curtains to give it a new look, but also keeping the traditions of the pub and what the community liked.

She said that anyone coming in could expect a warm welcome and friendly service from the staff, who worked around the three pubs run by her and Bikash to gain experience.

She said: "I think people can always expect a warm and friendly welcome as my team have worked with me since the start of our business and they rotate around the three pubs to get plenty of experience with customers.

"It means that they get that connection with customers and always greet them warmly, so it's really nice and the staff work really hard and really well together.

"Since we came in, the community have been pleased with the changes and we've introduced things like an open mic night on Thursdays, so we have some good nights in here."

Ms Darrall said the pub was a mixture of wet-led and dry-led, working with Punch Pubs to provide beers such as Timothy Taylor Landlord and Shropshire Gold, although they hadn't been able to put on many others due to the hand pulls needing to be changed.

She said: "We had to wait until those were done, but that's all been sorted out, and we're looking to try and get a Casque Mark for this pub, like what we have at the Bell Inn, and I'll ask Timothy Taylor to sponsor that when the time comes.

"We also have Birra Moretti, Cruzcampo and Carling as lagers and Inch's Cider, plus Rekordalig in the fridges if people want something different, and a good range of spirits."

The pub is also known as a food hub as well, with Ms Darrall saying her business partner provided a very diverse menu for people to enjoy, including slow braised Lamb Shanks, chicken Madras curry and Chinese wok fried noodles.

She said: "It's very mixed, with British, Indian and Chinese food on there in what is quite a big selection.

"I know that when customers do come in and eat with us, they have to take time to go through the menu as it's so large."

The Navigation Inn is one which Ms Darrall said she, her business partner and her whole team had worked hard on to make it work and said it was an all-consuming passion for her.

She said: "It's my heart, it's my pride and it's myself and my business partner as we put our all into it as if you don't do that with the pubs, they're not going to work.

"You have to put your heart and soul into it and work the hard hours to make it work."