The Rose & Crown in Ratley, a village new Banbury on the northern tip of the Cotswolds AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), shut down unexpectedly ahead of the festive period in December 2024, due to personal circumstances, according to the owners.

The village pub and restaurant, 10 miles north of Banbury, is now set to be reopened under new owners after more than a year on the market.

The quintessential Cotswolds village pub is under new ownership (Image: Christie & Co)

READ MORE: Oxford locals unimpressed by city ‘pod’ hotel plans

In a statement released to introduce themselves, new owners Dee and Norm Knight-Barrett said: “We wanted to reassure everyone that we intend to reopen The Rose & Crown as a traditional British ‘pie and pint’ pub.

“There is quite a bit of work to do internally in particular the cellar and kitchen.

The Rose & Crown closed unexpectedly in December 2024 (Image: Christie & Co)

“We want to offer the best beers and pies that we can so we need to carry out some upgrades. We will keep you posted with regard to progress so please bear with us.

“We are looking forward to meeting you all and making lots of new friends.”

READ MORE: TV legend’s daughter selling £3.95m Oxfordshire mansion

New owners said they intend to reopen The Rose & Crown as a ‘traditional pie and pint pub’ (Image: Christie & Co)

The new owners revealed the plans include theme nights, pizza, curry and barbecues, live music, a pool table and sports games, and has invited further suggestions from the village.

The property is a grade II listed, detached building which is believed to have operated as a pub for more than 250 years.

No opening date has yet been announced and works to renovate and refresh the venue are ongoing.

A new community food garden has opened outside Donnington Doorstep and the Community Centre at Donnington Townsend Square, turning an underused patch of land into a productive and social space for residents of all ages.

The project was led by Earthwatch Europe and the Donnington Tenants and Residents Association (DTRA).

Councillor Susan Brown, leader of Oxford City Council, said: “It’s fantastic to see this space come to fruition—what was once underused is now a thriving place for people to grow food, connect, and take pride in their community.”

The garden features four raised planters, including a dedicated herb bed, as well as a picnic bench and additional seating at the centre.

A community planting day held on April 17 brought together residents of all ages to help establish the garden.

The planters will be cared for by members of the community, including the Donnington 50+ Group.

Funding for the project was provided by Earthwatch Europe, with additional funding provided by Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council.

Through its Nature in Cities programme, Earthwatch Europe is helping to make urban areas greener and healthier places to live.

Louise Hartley, head of nature in cities at Earthwatch Europe, said: “We are delighted to have supported the creation of the Donnington food garden and to be working together with the local community and Oxford City Council.

“The planting day was fantastic and shows how local nature spaces can make a big difference—growing fresh food, bringing people together, and creating a space the whole community can enjoy.”

The project has already sparked strong community involvement.

Melanie Mendonca, a resident and member of the DTRA, said: “A dedicated herb bed has been created for use by the Community Café at Donnington Doorstep.

“Members of the Donnington 50+ Group have committed to helping maintain the planters following their exercise sessions.

“Families from the mothers and toddlers group also took part in the planting day, with children taking home sunflower seedlings to nurture at home.”

Alongside the new food garden, Oxford City Council has upgraded the nearby play area with improved equipment and safety surfaces, further enhancing the public space for families and children.

The Donnington Food Garden is a great example of this – bringing people together to connect with nature and take action in their community.

Ofwat opened the consultation on whether the White Horse Reservoir should be designated a ‘Specified Infrastructure Project’ and Thames Water issued with a preparatory works notice, on April 2.

The proposed project, previously known as SESRO or Abingdon Reservoir, would involve the 10-year construction of a massive reservoir which could hold around 150 million cubic metres of water to supply the south east, built just 5km south-west of Abingdon.

READ MORE: Delivery boss slams Evri after pay dispute and redundancies

It would be one of the largest reservoirs built in the UK, and has been proposed to combat water supply deficit of the ‘seriously water stressed’ region, as designated by the Environment Agency.

A CGI of the new reservoir (Image: Thames Water)

But it’s proved controversial, with campaigners Group Against Reservoir Development receiving backing from the community, local MPs and councillors.

Specifying the project would give the secretary of state or Ofwat the power ‘to specify an infrastructure project for separate delivery and regulation’, meaning it would not automatically be undertaken by Thames Water but rather put out to tender for an independent, third party provider to deliver and finance the project.

This specification can be issued for projects which are considered to be of a ‘size and complexity’ that would threaten the undertaker’s – in this case, Thames Water’s – ability to provide service for its customers, and if the specification is likely to result in a better value for money.

Ofwat concluded that, if Thames Water were to deliver the project, there would be a ‘material threat’ to the company’s ability to provide water services to its customers.

READ MORE: Oxfordshire restaurant to close this summer for renovations

Factors including the cost of the reservoir – estimated between £5.5billion and £7.5billion according to prices in 2022/23 – it’s scale as the single largest reservoir project ever undertaken in the UK and the risks around construction and engineering were all cited as reasons for this conclusion.

Similarly, Thames Water’s ability to manage it while ‘delivering the long-term transformation of its business’ over the next decade was also considered a factor in concluding the project should be specified.

Leonie Dubois, left, head of engagement for Thames Water (Image: Thames Water)

Once specified, Thames Water may still be required to undertake ‘preparatory works’ – like conducting site surveys relating to heritage, environment and other elements – arranging for electricity provisions, diverting utilities and undertaking highway works, preparing designs and planning applications for the project and procuring the works.

However, the water company would be prohibited from delivering the infrastructure project itself.

The consultation will close on May 14, and independent Vale of White Horse councillor Sally Whiteman (nee Povolotsky) urged people to submit their views.

Sally Whiteman (nee Povolotsky) urged people to submit their views to Ofwat (Image: Sally Povolotsky)

READ MORE: Oxford: Facial recognition vans to patrol city street

She said: “This is a hugely important stage in the process. Now is the time to put your views on record.

“This consultation is arguably one of the most important ‘gateway moments’ yet in the White Horse Reservoir process because it moves discussion from ‘should this reservoir exist?’ towards ‘how do we deliver it?’.

“Consultations only work if people take part. Every individual response matters and helps demonstrate the depth of local feeling and concern.”