The Ox Inn on the Oxford Road closed about a week ago.
A couple of years ago the two bars were knocked into one and bigger entertainment added. About the same time a hand car wash business started operating from the pub car park – the bright car wash signs became quite a feature on the Oxford Road.
The popular Landlord and Landlady from The Ox have now moved to the Black Swan in the town centre. It was refitted before they took over and boards outside now advertise ‘Our New Menus’. So there is more mixing of cultures in the Abingdon pubs (as first the Fitz, then the Nags Head, and now the Ox have closed). Some regulars from the Fitz have probably moved to the Boundary House, and some from the Nags Head to the Stocks.
Stephen Green sent me this caption from today’s News of The World. A picture of The Nags Head is used with the story ‘Pubs fall victim to recession.’
Time, please!
What a shame. Yet another pub falls victim. The one thing they missed out on being responsible for the pubs closing is the stupidly cheap prices supermarkets charge for alcohol. In Asda recently it was 3 cases for £18. That is less than a £1 a bottle. How on earth can pubs compete with that! Whats more if a pub started selling bottles of beer for 70p or so it would be labelled ‘irresponsible’. However its fine for Asda to do it!!
Cask conditioned ale is most certainly saving pubs. I am yet to hear about any pub closing that sells good quality ale, especially the ones that don’t sell yucky Green King. The Nags was making an effort with real ale but I think it was more the under age yobs and high rent that killed it. I went in the Ox a while ago. The beer was poor but they were trying to make an effort with the live music so its a shame things have not gone their way!
is it true that the tesco deal with the fitz has fallen through and that weatherspoons are going in there instead.. hope so…….or is this an urban legend
Have to agree with Tim, supermarkets sell alcohol so cheap that pubs can’t compete. Recently I paid £3.50 for a pint in one Abingdon pub, and that’s crazy. For £3.05 I can get a litre of Abingdon bridge ale from the brewery, and it doesn’t get much fresher than that!
Also Tim hit the nail on the head, good ale and food will keep a pub running. Greene King ale isn’t good, but they have a monopoly on Abingdon’s pubs. Nice when they shut the Fitz and gave the quote “you can use the boundary house” Thanks for shutting my local but I’ll go to another Greene King pub? I damn well think not! Get down the Kings head, and drink proper beer :o)
There were very few regulars left at the Fitz..the last time I went there the wine was stale and the ploughman’s I ordered came with a small pile of grated cheese and no bread. The place has declined gradually over the last few years to the point of being laughable. Strange how it had been for sale for some years and only sold (for a song) when all it was fit for was a total revamp.
The Kings Head had really become a fanstastic pub. Turn the clock back 15 years its barely recognisable. I remember vividly the Euro 96 England v Germany match in there. My goodness me!! There were some guys in there from out of town that had a disagreement with a local and the whole place erupted. It was like the wild west; chairs, tables and glasses were flying everywhere!! I was a bit concerned when it re-opened and seeing how much money they had spent on the place. I thought that all the old nutters might return that gave it such a bad rep all those years ago but it appears they have kept away. Next time I’m in Abingdon I will pop in for a pint.
If you think £3.50 is bad..the Brewery Tap is now charging £4.10 for a pint of Peroni!
I think you will find that a lot of the “old nutters” Still drink in the Kings thanks you !!! Perhaps you should have looked at the reasons as to why a fight starts not just whos involved !!! As you know there has not been trouble in the Kings since re done???
It was only one side of the King’s – we were in the back bar and heard it kick off in the front, but there was no trouble where we were.
Although it was a bit hilarious when a couple of people went out into the garden, declared ‘let’s pretend this bin is a German’, and proceeded to kick the wheely bin around!!
I was a regular in there for years. Still get in there now, but nowhere near as often as I’d like.