With just two weeks remaining in the Gazette Pub of the Year competition voting has reached a ferocious level, with thousands of people clamouring to ensure that their favourite local wins.

Votes are pouring in for the pubs with the warmest welcome, the best food and the finest ales, and it’s set to be closer than ever.

A full list of the shortlisted pubs appears at the bottom of this article, along with details of how to vote, and over the six weeks we have been looking at each pub in detail.

This week we visit The Rose and Crown in Rangeworthy.

Described as "a truly traditional country inn", the Rose and Crown has earned its reputation as a country pub which serves good beer, quality pub food, with exceptional service.

But it serves the community with more than just pints because with no village shop the popular local has become the focal point for meetings, events and charity fundraising.

Landlady Yvonne Hulbert, who has run the Rose and Crown for nearly 30 years, has bought the pub three years ago turning it into a freehouse.

Yvonne, who ran the pub with husband Martin until he died after a long battle with cancer in 2013, said the Rose and Crown did not pretend to be anything more than a comfortable, friendly local at

Speaking after the pub won the top accolade in 2015 Yvonne explained just how committed the team at the pub are to serving the community.

“We are a pub which does food but we are not a restaurant,” she said. “We do good pub grub and it keeps us very busy.”

She added: “Pubs have got to be valued by their community. A village with no pub has no heart."

And readers agree locals have been quick to explain why their local should win, citing everything from the drinks on offer, to the excellent homemade food and the friendly team there who make it all happen.

"This pub really is in the heart of the village," one very happy customer said.

"There is always something going on; parties, quizzes, darts and dominoes and we even held the church's harvest lunch there too."

The busy bars and the relaxed, friendly atmosphere are proof that the team in charge know exactly what they are doing, but locals are keen to point out the small details that make them so proud of their village pub.

"In summer the pub looks so beautiful with all the flowers," one woman said.

"It's clean, bright and welcoming - I feel really proud that it's our pub," said another.

And it’s that atmosphere, and the good tradition of a fantastic pub right at the heart of the community that has seen the beat of stiff competition to join the other five pubs in the final.

Is it time that the Rose and Crown won the top prize again?

Voting instructions can be found in full there but the following rules apply:

l Only one vote will be accepted per email address

l Readers can only vote for the six shortlisted pubs

l Voting will remain open until midnight Sunday, March 24. All votes received after that time will not be accepted

l All six runners up will receive certificates

l Landlords, managers and staff are also free to vote for their own pubs.

l The pub with the most votes will be crowned Pub of the Year at the end of March.

The winners will be presented with our coveted trophy and certificate, as well as our special prize, a luxurious weekend for two at the historic Brocket Hall Estate in Hertfordshire.

The two-night break for two in Melbourne Lodge will include breakfast, dinner, a round of golf, and a personal tour of one of England’s finest stately homes.

Vote for your favourite here: