‘Forgotten’ Oxfordshire village pub now has opening date

Restaurateur Tom Rainey, who runs the Porterhouse Grill off Botley Road, west Oxford, and The Punter, on nearby Osney Island, has bought the freehold of The Black Horse in Gozzards Ford near Abingdon.

Renovations have been taking place, and the pub is expected to reopen on Sunday, June 7.

READ MORE: ‘Most forgotten’ village pub now has new owner

The former Greene King pub was closed for about five years until new tenants surprised drinkers by reopening it in 2024.

Restaurateur Tom Rainey (Image: Oxford Mail)

The pub then closed again, and now Mr Rainey and his team are looking forward to serving drinks and “high end pub food” to customers.

He said: “Everything is going very well and we are looking forward to a private lunch for guests on Saturday, June 6, followed by opening for customers at noon on Sunday, June 7.

“Renovations include new wood panelling on the walls, and one of the rooms has been turned into a conservatory – the old skylight was leaking and we have created a much larger new one.

“There are new stone floors, new parquet floors and new loos. The builders from Abingdon have done a fantastic job. They’ve been great to work with.”

Mani’s black horse painting (Image: Tom Rainey)

Some dishes from the menus at The Porterhouse Grill and The Punter will feature at The Black Horse, which is being renamed The Blackhorse.

“We have also been painting the pub black – it makes sense because of the name,” Mr Rainey added.

Veggie scotch eggs from The Punter will feature on the menu, together with cheeseburgers, steak, venison haunch, seabass, oysters, and pies.

Hofmeister and Estrella lagers will be served, together with Westons cider, and Butcombe Original beer.

The Black Horse in Gozzards Ford (Image: Andy Ffrench)

Oxford artist Mani, whose real name is Andrew Manson, has been asked to design the new pub sign.

Mr Rainey said he had been getting “lots of good feedback” from people looking forward to the pub reopening.

Earlier he said the hostelry, part of which dates back to the 1700s, would be like “a phoenix rising from the ashes”.

Another major focus for renovation are the pub’s gardens, which Mr Rainey said will be landscaped over the coming year.

He said earlier: “The gardens are quite extensive and we want them to be landscaped with new pathways, and tables dispersed throughout, but that will take some time to complete.

“We want to welcome everyone from the surrounding villages and remind the people of Abingdon that they will soon have an excellent village pub right on their doorstep.”

The pub was reopened in 2024 by managers Manol Mitre and Dennis Yuri following a long period of closure.

When the pub was shut, Dave Richardson, a spokesman for the Oxford branch of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale), claimed it was Oxfordshire’s “most forgotten pub” and called for it to be reopened.

Gozzards Ford is a small village about two miles from Abingdon, so the vast majority of customers drive to the pub.