Oxford News
Oxford pub plans roof refurbishment for listed building
The Port Mahon in St Clement’s Street, in the heart of Oxford, has submitted a planning application to repair the three-storey building’s roof, fixing the structure and stopping up leaks, and removing and replacing asbestos tiles.
It comes after the Greene King-owned foodies pub benefited from a £190,000 investment in its kitchen, cellar and outdoor decking just two years ago.
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It reopened in September 2024 having been closed for the summer, relaunching with an emphasis on ‘simple, seasonal food’ under new manager Jonathan Perritt.
Ahead of its next round of improvements, The Port Mahon has been named Oxford Mail’s pub of the week.
New plans reveal the building now needs its pitch roof coverings removed with asbestos roofing tiles on the east roof to be taken off by a specialist contractor.
Existing slate roof tiles taken off during the works will be cleaned and reused, and damaged ones replaced with reclaimed slate roofing tiles.
It is not yet known if the pub will have to temporarily close while the works are carried out, and The Port Mahon has been approached for comment.
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The public house dates back to the 18th century, with some alterations to parts of the building.
Although the interior has been modernised, it features original fireplaces and a dog-gate at the foot of the stairs, ‘retaining the heritage’ of the building.
Because of its storied history, the pub has sought listed building consent to refurbish its roof.
The planning application states that the ‘well-established’ pub ‘is central to the local community and plays part in the daily lives of locals’, and the impact from the works are unlikely to have any impact on its aesthetic characteristics, heritage or other features.
Demonstrating its role in community life, The Port Mahon hosted a Celebration Day event on Monday, May 25.
READ MORE: Thunderstorm warning for Oxfordshire amid historic heatwave
Celebration Day is a non-profit initiative which encourages people to take the last Monday in May to remember and mark the memory or people that have inspired them.
The pub hosted a social run, offering 5k or 10k routes to the first 100 runners to show up, followed by a free beer and a ‘big toast’ to the person each runner dedicated their celebration day to.
As well as regular community events, The Port Mahon serves British pub food plus Sunday roasts, hosts a weekday happy hour, and is open five days a week, from 4pm to 11pm Monday to Thursday, 4pm to midnight o Friday, noon to midnight on Saturday and noon to 9.30pm on Sundays.
Upgrade work at Kings Road car park in Henley will start on June 2, with construction expected to take around two weeks to complete.
The works will focus on the area near Henley Library and include repairs to footpaths, improvements to disabled parking bays, and the replacement of benches.
Sue Cooper, cabinet member for environment at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “These improvements to Kings Road car park will help make the area safer, more welcoming and easier for people to use, while still protecting the existing trees and improving the overall look of the car park.
“The changes will also make access to the library and town easier, particularly for people with mobility needs.
“We’d like to thank residents and visitors for their patience while the work takes place.”
The two disabled parking bays nearest the library entrance will be temporarily closed during the project, and access to the walkway connecting Ravenscroft Road and Adam Court may be limited at times.
However, the pathway will remain open throughout, and entry to the library will be maintained.
Contractors will upgrade the walkway, which has become hazardous due to tree roots pushing through the tarmac.
The existing surface will be removed, the roots protected, and two new pathways built with a grassed area in between.
The current bench will also be replaced with two new ones.
Elsewhere in the car park, alternative disabled parking bays will remain available.
Reports emerged at around 8pm of an incident in Banbury town centre, close to the Banbury Cross, with locals saying a water pipe had burst although this has not been confirmed by Thames Water.
Videos taken at the scene show water shooting into the area onto the Fine Lady statue and cars going around the roundabout between South Bar Street and West Bar Street.
Local people on social media said that the urgent situation has been reported to Thames Water, although this hasn’t yet been logged on its active incident website.
Photos showed that the roundabout quickly became flooded, with cracks appearing in the road around the shooting water.
Some on social media jokingly commented that it is a “free car wash” or a “free shower” considering the record hot weather across Oxfordshire and the UK.
Thames Water has been contacted for comment as has Oxfordshire County Council.
If you’re feeling listless in the hot weather, you can take inspiration from this nostalgic photo gallery of people surviving heatwaves gone by.
Taking a dip in the river or writing essays in the park, this is how people in the county have dealt with hot weather in previous years.
READ MORE: Thunderstorm warning for Oxfordshire amid historic heatwave
Spanning the decades, this gallery includes one picture from a heatwave back in 1955, as well as periods of sun as recent as 2014.
Cooling off on a boat trip, lathering on the sun cream and taking to the pool for a dip are all valid responses to the heat, and all are pictured here.
Take a look back through this Oxford Mail archive gallery of nostalgic old photos of heatwaves in Oxfordshire, in years gone by.
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