Northamptonshire Police is appealing for witnesses to the serious collision on the A43 in Towcester, Northampton, at about 11.30am today (Monday, April 27).

Described as a ‘single-vehicle collision’, the incident occurred on the southbound carriageway at the junction of Towcester Road, and involved the driver of a white Toyota Aygo.

READ MORE: Major police presence at Oxford park for emergency incident

The driver, a woman in her 50s, was taken to hospital with ‘serious injuries’, according tot the force.

Officers from the serious crime investigation unit are now appealing for anyone who may have seen the incident or who may have dash-cam footage to come forward.

Anyone with information is asked to email collisionappeals@northants.police.uk or call the Drivewatch Hotline on 0800 174615, or Northamptonshire Police on 101, quoting reference number 26000241000.

Contractors have been working at The White Horse on the corner of Spring Road and Ock Street, and the pub is expected to reopen at noon on Thursday, May 7.

The pub shut on April 4 so that work could get under way.

READ MORE: Dragons appear in gardens across village

Kitty and Sean, the new managers, said they “can’t wait” to welcome patrons to the White Horse.

The White Horse in Abingdon (Image: Andy Ffrench)

The landlords said in a joint statement: “We’re really looking forward to becoming part of this amazing community, getting to know you all, and making the pub a warm, welcoming place for everyone to enjoy.

“Please do pop in after the refurb, say hello, and join us for a drink—we can’t wait to meet you.”

The White Horse in Abingdon (Image: Andy Ffrench)

The renovation is expected to include a comprehensive remodelling, including a colour touch-up ‘all over’ the pub, a newly decorated back bar, a ‘face-lift’ for the toilets, a new darts and bar area. and a redesign for the beer garden.

Staff could be seen working on the renovation outside the pub earlier today.

Before the Greene King pub shut a notice to customers said: “We’ll miss you. From Doreen and the team at The White Horse, we would like to say a big thank you for everything over the last three years.”

The White Horse in Abingdon (Image: Andy Ffrench)

Greene King had been advertising for a new team to take over the management of the pub.

It said in an advert at the end of last year: “Pub managers of Oxfordshire, looking to run your own show?

“The White Horse, Abingdon is becoming a Hive franchise pub.

“We’re looking for someone to front the business, who is community minded, passionate about great hospitality and who can keep the guests coming back for more.

“A Hive Pub franchise offers you: the chance to be your own boss, and lower operational costs than a tenancy model.

“As a franchisee, Greene King will offer you: a comprehensive induction programme, a fully refurbished pub, that’s ready to trade, we’ll even cover most of the operational costs.”

The White Horse in Abingdon (Image: Andy Ffrench)

The White Horse was previously run by the town’s Morland brewery which closed in 2000.

The White Horse has been popular for dining, with reasonably priced pub food including fish and chips, and for its big screens which feature sports including Premier League football matches.

The Oxford branch of real ale group CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) said the pub building was Grade II listed.

It added: “Originally owned by the Borough of Abingdon, the White Horse dates back to 1845 and had a number of tenants who were coal merchants and publicans before the Morland family ownership.

“In 1999, Greene King became the new owners and extended this Grade II listed building to provide dining facilities.

“This traditional English pub has a beer garden in front and its own car park.”

The Asthall boozer, originally called The Windmill, was bought by the former Top Gear host for around £1,000,000.

It was reopened as The Farmer’s Dog last August and has proved a popular tourist spot with fans coming to try a pint of Hawkstone.

From the get-go, Mr Clarkson vowed to only use and serve British produce at the pub, meaning that no ketchup or cola is served onsite.

READ MORE: Exclusive look at £24m luxury Cotswolds holiday resort opening in 2027

The Alkemy founders celebrate. (Image: Alkemy)

This meant rum was not on the drinks list, as traditionally, the spirit is made from molasses, which is a by-product of the sugar cane industry.

This missing spirit issue at The Farmer’s Dog was recently resolved with the introduction of Alkemy, which creates a locally grown rum.

After several years of rum production overseas, brothers Will and Rob Tapster founded the distillery in Suffolk in 2021, with the aim of producing a unique new take on the classic spirit.

Alkemy uses molasses from locally grown sugar beet, rather than imported sugar cane, to make their rum.

READ MORE: Over 25,000 people to descend on Jeremy Clarkson’s farm this summer

Jeremy Clarkson at his Cotswolds pub. (Image: Hawkstone / Instagram)

Now, the rum has been praised after becoming the highest-scoring spiced rum at this year’s London Spirits Competition.

Now in its ninth year, the competition judges each entry across three weighted criteria: quality, value, and packaging.

Entries are first blind-tasted by a panel of active trade professionals, including spirits buyers, bar managers, and mixologists, before price and packaging are factored in.

To be an award winner, you need to have top-quality spirits that offer both the trade and the consumer great value for money, and you need to look good and truly stand out on the shelf and on the back bar.

READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson catches trespassers on Cotswolds farm touching animals

Alkemy. (Image: Alkemy)

The judges brought a wealth of experience from various sectors, including hospitality, retail, and education, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of each entry.

Judges were impressed with the Suffolk spirit’s packaging and value, scoring 93 and 92, respectively, but it was the quality of the spiced gold spirit that they were most impressed by.

Since the competition began nine years ago, no spiced rum has received a higher score than Alkemy Spiced Gold has achieved this year.

Co-founder Will Tapster says, “I think it’s a good indication that people are taking spiced rum more seriously.

READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson sends message to pilot after Spitfire circles his house

Alkemy founders, Rob and Will Tapster. (Image: Alkemy)

“Historically, spiced rums have performed a lot worse than other rums in these awards, but that’s changed now.

“People are starting to see that amongst the traditionally overly sweet spiced rums, there are others that are as complex and enjoyable as any spirit.”

The achievement of being the highest ever scoring spiced rum is not lost on the distillery.

Co-founder Rob Tapster explains: “We have to admit that we were quite surprised, not because we don’t have faith in the spirit, but because we have had mixed responses to our spirit in these competitions.

“So far, we either score very well or get disqualified for not being a ‘true rum’. We see both as valid.”