Beer drinkers in Gloucestershire are living in one of the best counties in Britain for real ale.

The county, coupled with Bristol, has been ranked in the top 10 of beer districts in a league table put out by Camra, the Campaign For Real Ale.

With 21 breweries in the county making proper beer, this puts Gloucestershire and Bristol in eighth place, just behind Greater Manchester.

One of the county's newest breweries is Prescott Ales, based in Alstone Lane in Cheltenham.

Nathan McWattie, who runs the company with his wife Jo, said: "It's going very well for us. It's got to the point where we are struggling to keep up with demand and I'm taking on a full-time brewer in November, so six months in and we are taking people on, which is pretty good."

Nathan said Gloucestershire had always been a good area for making beer. He said: "There have traditionally been three beer-making areas, around Burton, London and the region around Stratford-upon-Avon.

"We started here in March and we did it here just because it's where we live, and I have a passion for beer and wanted to take it a step further."

Cumbria, Devon, North Yorkshire and Derbyshire are also in Camra's top 10 areas, with West Yorkshire top of the pile with 34 breweries.

Another brewer based in Cheltenham who is continuing to do well is Roland Elliott-Berry, who runs Battledown Brewery.

He said: "We were the first of the new breed in Cheltenham and were the only one in town when we started in 2005.

"Our expansion has been constant and I can say that people do want to drink a local beer. It seems to be the only part of the pub trade that's not in dire straits."

Roland said Cheltenham's water has long made it a favourite with brewers of bitter.

He said: "It's a hard water with a lot of trace elements, which allows a complex flavour.

"If you look at a place like Burton with high sulphates you get a very tasty British beer, and Cheltenham has quite a high level of sulphates, so it's a good all-round water.

"That's why there have been literally hundreds of breweries in Cheltenham."

As well as Prescott and Battledown, the Festival brewery also makes beer in Cheltenham, while Goffs operates from Winchcombe.