Russell Brand's abandoned Oxfordshire pub to reopen under new ownership

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 15 Nov, 00:32 · Archive

Russell Brand's Crown Inn in Oxfordshire, abandoned for five years, will reopen in December under new ownership after Brand sold it for £975,000.

Russell Brand's Crown Inn in Pishill, Oxfordshire, is set to reopen on 5 December under new ownership, more than five years after Brand purchased it and left it derelict. Brand bought the 600-year-old pub for £850,000 in late 2021 but never operated it as a pub. Instead, he attempted to convert it into a recording studio and community space for his podcast, but faced planning disputes and strong local opposition. More than 50 villagers objected to his plans, with 20 residents staging a protest.

Brand sold the pub in April for £975,000 to new owners including John Bloomer. The property had deteriorated significantly during Brand's five years of ownership, with the bar sitting empty and gardens overgrown. According to The Independent, Bloomer said the new owners had received "huge support from the community" and felt confident the pub's association with Brand would not deter customers.

The barn on the site operated as a pop-up during summer, which Bloomer said had gone "very well" and drawn "great support from the locals". The main pub building is currently undergoing final refurbishments ahead of its December opening. When fully open, the Crown Inn will offer a Thai and English fusion menu, luxury accommodation with a cottage for overnight stays, and a "Wild Spa" featuring outdoor saunas, ice baths and forest bathing facilities.

Brand, 51, was sentenced to ten and a half years in prison on Monday after being found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault committed between 2004 and 2009.

How it is being reported

• Russell Brand’s old pub to reopen under new ownership after years of abandonmentThe disgraced comedian sold the 600-year-old inn in April for just under £1mThe Independent · 14 Nov, 18:14
• Russell Brand’s rotting pub to reopen after never serving a single pintHe sold the pub for £975k after letting it fall into disrepair.Metro · 14 Nov, 18:13
• Russell Brand’s abandoned pub set to reopen under new ownershipBrand had spent years trying to the Oxfordshire pub into a media space for his podcast showEvening Standard · 14 Nov, 16:34

In this story: Russell Brand · Crown Inn · Pishill · Oxfordshire · John Bloomer · HMP Wandsworth

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