The Fox, Middle Barton
A Grade II-listed 18th-century village local, fought for by the community and now restored, reopened and five minutes from the cottage.
A Grade II-listed 18th-century village local, fought for by the community and now restored, reopened and five minutes from the cottage.
There's something quietly heartening about a proper village local brought back to life, and The Fox is exactly that. It's a handsome Grade II-listed building of coursed limestone, early 18th-century in origin, sitting on Enstone Road right beside the church at the heart of Middle Barton. The kind of pub with the proportions and character that only a couple of centuries of use can produce. It closed back in 2023, but it was never forgotten, and for anyone staying at the cottage it is one of the nearest pubs, an easy few minutes from the front door.
What makes it special is how it came back. After it closed, a determined group of villagers registered it as an Asset of Community Value, crowdfunded almost £119,000 and campaigned hard to keep it from being lost. Their bids to buy it did not carry the day, but in the end they stepped aside for a like-minded buyer whose aims aligned with theirs — and that new owner gave the building a full, careful restoration. In July 2026, after years dark, The Fox reopened its doors, now run by The Wine Devil. It is one of the nearest pubs to the cottage — five minutes from the front door — and an easy option for a drink or a bite while you are staying.
Heading up the kitchen is Richard Galli, until recently executive chef at Claridge's in Mayfair. The stated approach is deliberately unfussy — “a pub with a kitchen, not a restaurant with a bar” — so alongside all-day classics like pies, burgers and fish and chips there is a short, changing à la carte with a seafood leaning and sharing dishes such as côte de boeuf, whole leg of lamb and grilled lobster. There is a wine list from sommelier Yohann Pinol and a small private dining room for tasting menus.
The Fox stands on the main road through Middle Barton, at the junction with Fox Lane and right beside St Edward the Confessor Church at the centre of the village. From the cottage in Ledwell it's only about a mile and a half by road, a five-minute drive or a genuinely pleasant country walk when the weather is kind. Middle Barton itself is an easygoing, unshowy place with a village shop and post office and a couple of quiet lanes worth wandering, so it's a natural spot to combine a stroll with a pint. Here's the shape of it.
The Falkland Arms in Great Tew is the nearest pub to the cottage, but the Fox is far from the only other good local nearby. The White Horse Inn at Duns Tew is one of our regular haunts, all flagstones and open fires; The George Inn at Barford St Michael and The Killingworth Castle near Wootton are both worth the short hop for a good dinner. For the full picture, our guide to eating and drinking in the area runs from village locals to farm-to-table restaurants and everything in between.
It's open again after the restoration and still settling into its stride. Check the pub's website for current opening days and menus — and, as one of the closest pubs to the cottage, it's a handy option if you fancy an evening out without a drive.
“Good to see a proper village pub saved and open again after years dark — and one of the closest to the cottage.”
All of this on the doorstep, and your own thatched cottage to come home to. Sleeps seven, less than a mile from Soho Farmhouse.