AN Old Town pub has become a horticultural visitor attraction thanks to a batch of eight-foot lilies.

Excitement at the Wheatsheaf grew in parallel with the plants, which are sometimes known as sky-high lilies.

They came from bulbs nurtured and supplied by two regulars.

Landlord and landlady Jon Webb and Kayleigh Hughes-Webb became used to people making a beeline for the lilies, and the excitement intensified as the plants began to bud.

Jon said: "We planted them in March. They were just bulbs underground – you couldn’t see anything at all, so they’ve grown the best part of eight feet."

The lilies soon became a feature. "Mainly because you could watch them grow," said Jon.

"Every day they were a little bit higher and everyone was constantly checking how much progress we had.

"Lots and lots of people have been in just to take their photo and then leave again - it's lovely but it's not great for trade!"

There will be even more of the enormous lilies, whose blooms are almost the size of dinner plates, in future.

Jon said: "We only started with four bulbs and we've already got five plants, so I know they've already started to multiply.

"We'll look at probably having two troughs next year and seeing if we can get a couple more on the go, just because they look so beautiful."