Home > Oxfordshire > Bletchingdon > Blacks Head Inn Blacks Head Inn

Picture source: Movement80

The Blacks Head Inn was situated on The Green. This grade-II listed pub closed in 2014.

Reopened in November 2018.

Paul Timms (February 2019)

Closed again for a year long refurbishment in June 2024.

David Gormley (November 2025)

Review from tantallon.org.uk:

Pubmaster I suppose that etymologically it'll be "don", because it's on a hill. The Black's Head is a pleasant enough country pub, with a rather hairy barman, two bars, in the lounge there are table lamps which have SKOL printed on the ceramic bases, and there's a smallish garden with an Aunt Sally.

Listed building details:

Two houses, now public house. Late C16, raised mid-C17 with late-C17 building to left and mid-C18 extension to rear left, remodelled c. 1900, altered c. 1950. Coursed limestone rubble; gabled stone slate roofs, part Welsh slate to rear; brick ridge and gable stacks. Brick rusticated stack to left c. 1650 has stone sundial incorporated. Late-C16 two-unit plan with late C17 addition to right. Mid-C18 wing to rear and early C19 extension to right. 2 storeys and attic; 5-window range. Timber lintels over late-C19 door to centre, either side two 2-light casements with glazing bars, beyond to right another similar window. Above four 2-light casements with glazing bars and a smaller 2-light casement to right. Three gabled dormer windows. To left a set-back mid-C18 wing with a single C20 door and a single glazing bar sash to each floor. Two storey former stable wing projects at an angle to the rear. Rear has mid-C18 two-storey range with C20 metal casement windows, projecting wing to right has concrete external steps up to C20 half-glazed door with two 2-light casements to right. To left a timber conservatory and beyond a gabled wing with single storey outbuilding. INTERIOR has panelled entrance lobby added c. 1900. Main bars on ground floor have been opened up into a single room in C20. Late C17 range has stop-chamfered beam and similar bressumer over open fireplace to left. Chamfered beams to left. Upper floors retain original plan and room arrangement. Two interesting C16 plank doors also survive though probably moved. Original roof structure survives with some C20 strengthening. Attics have some original broad floorboards and two C16 plank doors possibly in their original openings. Rear wing has exposed roof structure constructed from re-used earlier timber roof.

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