Eastenders Star Joins Fight to Save Last Pub in Oxfordshire Village

The Fox Inn is in Middle Barton. It is near Chipping Norton. This pub is very old, from the 18th century. Courts and village stocks used to be there. It is the last pub in the Bartons now.

Locals protected it and got it listed in March 2022. It is now an Asset of Community Value. The owner then put it up for sale in June 2023. The owner is an investment company.

The Bartons Community Benefit Society works hard to reopen the pub quickly. They made an offer for £375,000 on January 30, but the seller rejected this offer at the time. They tried again on February 13.

The society is talking with the seller and will share a new plan soon. They hope to partner with a new group, a community interest company, and the society will own part of the pub. They hope the pub will open this summer.

Richard Brown, who chairs the Bartons Community Benefit Society, says they have a plan. This plan will make the pub a community hub. He asks investors to work with them, highlighting that the community supports getting their pub back. They pledged over £122,750 quickly.

Tamzin Outhwaite, who played Mel Owen in Eastenders and also starred in Red Cap and Hotel Babylon, supports the campaign. She loves living in the area, saying every village needs a pub and that The Fox was important to Middle Barton.

Tamzin supports saving village life and asks others to do the same. A quiz night raised £1,900 for the campaign, with over 100 people participating by answering questions and creating foxes.

Andy Clarke, a campaign organizer, said the event was wonderful. He also says the money will help reopen the pub and shows the community’s spirit. He thanks everyone who helped the campaign.