An Arts-and-Crafts house with an original 1930s pub hidden within
The Fox was the local pub in a village near Henley for many years. Today, it's a fine family home — but a beautiful reminder of its past is still at the heart of the house.
At first glance, this Grade II-listed 1930s Arts and Craft-style property looks like a striking family home — but it has a twist. Hidden inside is an incredible timber-framed bar retained from its days as a pub.
The Fox in the village of Bix, just outside Henley-on-Thames, was built in 1935 for local brewer W.H. Brakspear & Son. Last orders were called in the early 2000s and the pub is believed to have stood empty until the current owners, the Bausors, snapped it up in 2005. The couple embarked on an extensive renovation of the property to create a home fit for modern family living and — fittingly for a former pub — entertaining. The owners have called ‘time’ on this five-bedroom home and brought it to the market via Hamptons for £1,850,000.
The talking point of the house is undoubtedly the bar, located at the heart of the property, between the hall, sitting room, and dining room. It’s a brilliant feature, with a frame that reaches the ceiling.
Daniel Bausor says: ‘It really makes for a different experience. When we have dinner parties, friends often sit behind the bar chatting, and then we move through to the dining room. It just works really well.’
If you can tear yourself away from the bar, you’ll notice that many other original details remain, including exposed beams, fireplaces, parquet flooring, and a panelled staircase.
The ground floor of The Fox is divided into two halves. The front of the house comprises the hall, sitting room with wood-burning stove, dining room, study, and cloakroom. And at the back of the house, there’s an open-plan kitchen alongside a laundry room, office, shower room, and another cloakroom.
Daniel explains: ‘We've had amazing parties because the entertaining space is fantastic. We've got this dining room where we can seat 14 comfortably, but equally, you can move that [table] and have brilliant Christmas parties where you've got the three very large reception rooms as well as the kitchen.’
Upstairs, the main bedroom has a freestanding bath and an ensuite loo, and there are four further double bedrooms, family bathroom, and a shower room.
The Fox may have been recently converted but there’s still scope to put your own stamp on it. According to Daniel, there’s planning permission to extend the kitchen. And there’s potential to convert the cellar — into a cinema room perhaps?
The house has potential income streams too. It has been used as a filming location and hired for private events and key moments in the Henley social calendar, including Henley Royal Regatta and Henley Festival. Previous headliners at Henley Festival have included Diana Ross, McFly, Rick Astley, Hacienda Classical, Matteo Bocelli and Jamie Cullum.
Now, The Fox has got us thinking: what else is on the market for those who have an affinity for pubs?
If you’re inspired by The Fox’s transformation, then properties ripe for the same treatment — and there are some striking bargains to be had. Take the Dog & Duck in Kingsfold, West Sussex, for example, which recently sold after being on the market for £500,000 with all the pub furniture, including the bar, tables and chairs, and commercial kitchen.
This former pub in Beckermet on the edge of the Lake District National Park is just £195,000 and is also pretty intact, but the listing notes that planning has already been granted to transform it into a four- to five-bedroom home. The ‘real potential shines through with the approved planning permission’, promise the agents. ‘Picture a massive open-plan living kitchen at the rear, complete with bi-fold doors leading out to the garden. The ground floor could also feature a large living room, a family bathroom, a playroom or fifth bedroom, and a dedicated home office – perfect for modern family life.’
Another renovation opportunity here, not far from The Fox. This former pub in Whitchurch Hill, Oxfordshire, is currently divided into four homes but it has the potential to be converted into one substantial family home. Handily, it’s close to The Oratory Prep School and Langtree School, as the selling agent, Strutt & Parker, points out. The property has a £950,000 asking price, recently reduced from £1,150,000.
If you want to skip the renovations, then this former pub has an irresistible blend of Cotswolds charm and, like The Fox, modern family style. The six-bedroom house comes with a detached, one-bedroom annexe. It sits on the edge of Finstock village and is within three miles of Charlbury, dubbed ‘Notting-Hill-on-the-Wolds’. It’s on the market with Harvey Holland for £1,250,000 — again, it's recently reduced, having been listed previously at £1,400,000.
