About The Fox
A pub, not a project.
Tucked quietly into Old Down and a little way from the usual routes — a place to meet, eat, drink and settle in awhile.
Our story
Since the 18th century
The Fox has been part of life in Old Down since the 18th century. Tucked quietly into the village and a little way from the usual routes, it has long been a place to meet, eat, drink and settle in awhile.
Its low beams, open fire and well-worn corners have seen plenty of ordinary evenings made memorable: a pint after work, a long Sunday lunch, a table of friends who said they would only stay for one.
The details have changed over the years, as they should. The purpose has not. The Fox remains a proper local inn: independent in spirit, generous in welcome, and quietly worth finding.
A place you hear about
Not a pub you simply happen upon.
You turn off the road, follow the lane and begin to wonder whether you have gone quite far enough. Then there it is.
That slight sense of discovery is part of The Fox. It has always felt a little removed from the rush — close enough to Bristol, but with its own pace entirely. A place for those in the know, and for those happy to follow a good recommendation.
Kept properly
A pub that feels like itself.
The Fox is a free house, run with the simple belief that a pub should feel like itself. No unnecessary fuss. No need to reinvent what already works.
There is the warmth of the bar, the crackle of the fire when the weather calls for it, food made for lingering over, and drinks chosen with care. Outside, the garden offers room to stretch out when the sun arrives, with the vine-covered veranda making an easy spot to settle in.
It is traditional, certainly — but never stuck in the past.
What matters to us
Four things, kept simple.
A welcome first
Everyone gets the same greeting, whether it's your first visit or your five-hundredth.
Good food
Cooked properly, served without ceremony.
Good drink
A bar kept the way a country pub's bar should be.
The local
A pub that belongs to its village as much as to us.
Come in, stay awhile
We hope you will feel at home here.
Whether you are joining us for lunch, meeting friends for a drink, finding a quieter corner, or visiting The Fox for the first time.
Some places are made to be found online.
The better ones are still worth finding in person.